Daniel Cormier praises Ilia Topuria for 'very smart' approach in Max Holloway face-to-face interview

Daniel Cormier thinks Ilia Topuria is starting to get under Max Holloway’s skin ahead of UFC 308.

Featherweight champion Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) defends his title against Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) in the Oct. 26 main event at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).

In a pre-fight interview moderated by Brendan Fitzgerald, Topuria and Holloway traded barbs, with Topuria vowing to be the first to knock out Holloway. Cormier saw some agitation from Holloway during those exchanges.

“Here’s for me why this worked: You got to see Max Holloway a little bit mad,” Cormier said on “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Chael Sonnen. “It felt like Ilia Topuria has now gotten to the point where Max doesn’t like him. He respected Max in his career path and the things that he did. I don’t know that now, he respects him in that way, and I think it’s very smart of Topuria not to hold that respect and have that for Max Holloway because the last guy that Max Holloway fought in Justin Gaethje, who liked Max – he had no bad feelings toward Max.

“He said he couldn’t get himself ready because Max is a great guy. Everybody loves Max. Max Holloway put him out with one of the most devastating knockouts we have seen in a really long time. Ilia Topuria’s not having any of that. Ilia Topuria’s saying, ‘I’m going to knock you out. I’m going to put you into retirement.’ He said he put Volk into retirement already. This dude Ilia is so confident, but why wouldn’t he be? He is the world champion. … If you can fight the way that this man fights, then you can carry yourself in that way.”

Topuria ran through Bryce Mitchell and Josh Emmett before dethroning Alexander Volkanovski by second-round knockout to become featherweight champion at UFC 298. Meanwhile, Holloway re-entered the title picture after an incredible knockout of Justin Gaethje to claim the BMF title at UFC 300.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.