During UFC Denver’s broadcast of the main card fight between welterweights Gabriel Bonfim and Ange Loosa, the French-Canadian broadcast team accidentally broke the news of UFC Noche’s alleged main event between featherweight champion Ilia Topuria and BMF champion Max Holloway, as well as the co-main of bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili.
Click here to view the clip of the UFC’s French-Canadian broadcast team accidentally leaking fights from UFC Noche.
UFC Noche Main Event: Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway
This long-awaited featherweight title matchup can quickly be promoted as the best fight of the year as the undefeated phenom and featherweight champ Ilia Topuria (15-0-0) takes on former featherweight champ and recently crowned BMF champion Max Holloway (26-7-0).
The undefeated featherweight champion Topuria is coming off a historic second-round knockout over former champion and pound-for-pound king Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February.
The BMF champion Holloway last competed at UFC 300, scoring a last-second highlight-reel knockout over former BMF champion Justin Gaethje. This Knockout is easily a viable candidate for the ‘Knockout of the Year’ award.
Early Prediction: This blockbuster featherweight title matchup has the potential to be a career-defining moment for both fighters. I believe that Topuria will cement himself as one of the all-time greats after facing Holloway, making this a fight not to be missed.
The 27-year-old undefeated champion possesses dynamite punchin power while having legitimate grappling skills. He will look to make a statement in this fight as many critics have started to write off his chances against Holloway.
The 32-year-old BMF champion and former featherweight champion Holloway is riding a lot of momentum coming into this highly anticipated matchup, which will make for an aggressive approach from Holloway.
Both men are coming off potentially the best wins of their careers. They have also exchanged a lot of trash talk and pre-fight talk over the last few months, which makes for an explosive recipe for the fans.
That said, I predict that the champion Topuria will introduce long-time mixed martial arts fans into his new era as featherweight king by delivering a jaw-dropping knockout over the BMF champion and surefire future hall of fame inductee.
In conclusion, I am predicting a third-round knockout victory for featherweight champion Ilia Topuria. This fight has all the makings of a classic, and I believe Topuria will emerge victorious, introducing a new era in the featherweight division.
UFC Noche Co-main Event: Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili
The new-age cash cow in bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley (18-1-0, 1NC) is scheduled to finally defend his title against the highly talented pressure-fighter in Merab Dvalishvili (17-4-0) in the co-main event slot.
The war of words will finally come to a close as the world’s two best bantamweights will finally clash in what should be a display of the highest level of mixed martial arts.
O’Malley most recently defended his belt against career-rival Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera at UFC 299, where he displayed a supreme level of striking that set him far apart from most of the bantamweight division.
Dvalishvili most recently competed on UFC 298 back in February, where he mostly dominated former flyweight and bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo en route to a decision victory after weathering the early storm of the former Olympic gold medalist wrestler.
Early Prediction: Looking at the fight itself, I like this matchup in favor of the champion, as O’Malley has solidified himself as one of the most polished strikers in UFC history. Dvalishvili comes into this matchup as the shorter man with a shorter reach.
The significant physical size difference will present a formidable challenge for Dvalishvili, who will need to find a way to close the distance on the lanky sharpshooter, O’Malley.
This is why I predict that O’Malley will eventually find the knockout punch on the challenger. I see this fight playing out very similar to O’Malley’s title coronation in Boston at UFC 292 back in August 2023, where O’Malley found the pinpoint second-round counterpunch on the reigning champion Aljamain Sterling.
O’Malley’s footwork is second to none in mixed martial arts, and it will give Dvalishvili a lot of problems inside the octagon. Bouncing around the outside, picking and popping shots using keeps to the body and threatening knees up the middle until frustrating the challenger enough to shoot for a telegraphed takedown, which will be Dvalishvili’s demise.
My prediction is a third-round knockout victory for the champion, Sean O’Malley. This should build anticipation and excitement for the fight’s outcome.
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