Max Holloway hits back after Ilia Topuria questions his desire to fight for the featherweight belt: ‘You’re spiraling!’

BMF titleholder Max Holloway wasn’t one to hold animosity toward other UFC fighters, until Ilia Topuria claimed the featherweight throne.

Holloway earned the BMF belt by knocking out Justin Gaethje with one second left at UFC 300 last month. The win was his first career UFC lightweight victory and opened up many options for his next fight.

One such option is Topuria, who earned the UFC featherweight belt by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298. Since earning the title, Topuria has taken shots at Holloway and the other top featherweight contenders, even dismissing Holloway as a deserving next opponent.

In a recent podcast appearance, Topuria claimed that Holloway ‘didn’t want to fight’ despite fans and pundits calling for the matchup. He pointed to Brian Ortega as the logical next opponent after Ortega defeated Yair Rodríguez earlier this year.

Topuria also required Holloway to put his BMF belt on the line to challenge for the featherweight title.

Max Holloway and Ilia Topuria ramp up beef ahead of potential booking

In a recent tweet, Topuria clarified his stance on facing Holloway for his first title defense.

I never turned down the rematch with Alex as the UFC has never offered me this fight. As I’ve said many times before, I will be the first to knockout Holloway. Let’s keep this simple: Do you want to fight? If the answer is yes, there's nothing more to discuss. Bring my belt and…

— Ilia Topuria (@Topuriailia) May 1, 2024

It didn’t take long for Holloway to respond.

https://twitter.com/BlessedMMA/status/1785726166990794960

“Bro you’re the one making this hard,” Holloway tweeted in response. “Ennnnooouuggghhhh already lol. I’ll ‘bring your belt’ The Bitching Mother Fcker [LAUGHS] all you are doing is putting words together now. You’re spiraling.”

Topuria has hinted at his desire to defend the belt in Spain, but that possibility seems unlikely in 2024. UFC president Dana White wants to host an event in Spain but claimed that infrastructure issues might push the timeline back to 2025.

This points to a potential Las Vegas showdown between Holloway and Topuria, possibly for the upcoming UFC 306 card at the Las Vegas Sphere. The card’s fight lineup is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Ahead of their potential showdown, tensions are skyrocketing between Holloway and Topuria, which could set up one of the biggest fights of the year.