Ilia Topuria delivered another stellar performance last weekend at UFC 308. He made history by successfully knocking out challenger Max Holloway to defend his featherweight title for the first time. While Topuria was thrilled with the victory, it was clear he wasn’t satisfied with Dana White, criticizing the minimal fight bonus.
Going into the fight, Topuria promised that he would become the first person to knock out Holloway. While the ‘Blessed’ managed to make it challenging for Topuria in the first two rounds, the Georgian-Spaniard finally pushed through. For the performance, the champ received a $50K Performance of the Night award bonus; however, Topuria needed more than that.
I knocked out Max Holloway and Dana only give me $50K? I hope he’s gonna give me a little bit more.
Ilia Topuria via UFC
When Holloway did something similar at UFC 300 against Justin Gaethje, he took home a whopping $600K bonus award. However, the times have changed, and White has previously declared that he will never raise the fight bonuses. It was unfortunate for Topuria to get such a disappointing bonus. However, it’s safe to say that his star power in the next fights will definitely give him more pay-per-view points.
Ilia Topuria wasn’t happy that his bonus was just $50K 😅
“I knocked out Max Holloway and Dana only give me $50K? I hope he’s gonna give me a little bit more.”
🎥 @ufc #UFC #MMApic.twitter.com/H3g2PtdkIf
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 28, 2024
Other than Topuria, Khamzat Chimaev also received a Performance of the Night bonus for his submission win against Robert Whittaker. Rising middleweight Sharaputdin Magomedov earned a bonus for his incredible double-backfist knockout finish against Armen Petrosyan. However, there was definitely something that made Topuria different from the others in the mix.
UFC 308 fighter reveals Ilia Topuria was already counting his money before the fight
Ilia Topuria is well known for emitting an incredible level of confidence, which often gets labeled as cockiness. He makes ridiculous claims but has always been able to back them up inside the octagon. Doing it frequently enough has turned his haters to his fans.
Beyond his refined skill, Topuria’s calm and efficient demeanor makes him stand out. Despite early struggles at UFC 308 against Max Holloway, he quickly adapted and secured the finish. UFC featherweight Lerone Murphy, who shared the locker room with Topuria, shared an intriguing detail about the champion.
His mindset going into fights is different and that’s why he’s performing. He was already counting his money before even going into the fight. That’s how relaxed he was. He was chilling, cracking jokes.
Lerone Murphy via The Ariel Helwani Show
“He was already counting his money before even going into the fight. That’s how relaxed he was.”
Lerone Murphy on speaking with Ilia Topuria in the locker room ahead of UFC 308 👊 pic.twitter.com/tXiu2iPw0t
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 28, 2024
After the win, the fighter talked about moving up and submitting the lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev. Looking at both fighters, fans are definitely excited for this matchup. However, it will be interesting to see what the UFC decides. Makhachev’s coach has already dismissed Topuria’s chances against the Dagestani, but the ‘El Matador’ does have the ability to shock everyone.
