Last month marked a jackpot for fight fans, starting with the UFC Salt Lake City showdown between Alex Pereira and Khalil Rountree Jr. This event maintained momentum through Francis Ngannou’s showdown against Rennan Ferreira on the PFL scene, culminating in a thrilling UFC Abu Dhabi featherweight title event featuring division king Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway.

The striking performances from both ‘El Matador’ and Holloway were chilling, but in the end, the winning shot went to Ilia Topuria, who successfully defended his title for the first time against Max ‘Blessed’ by knockout—an outcome no one had ever achieved against the former champion. This left the fight world in shock, including UFC head honcho Dana White, who was enjoying the action alongside internet personality Hasbulla.

When Max Holloway went to sleep, the reaction was jaw-dropping. This moment can be seen in a clip uploaded by the MMA-oriented page ‘MMA Pros Pick,’ where Dana White and Hasbulla were stunned by Topuria’s devastating knockout of Holloway, prompting the UFC boss to exclaim, “Damn!”

Although Topuria surprised White with his performance, it wasn’t enough to persuade him to raise ‘El Matador’s’ payout. After the fight in Abu Dhabi, Topuria expressed disappointment during post-fight interviews, calling out the UFC for not compensating him adequately. This has led many fans to wonder if the Spanish-Georgian might follow the same path as Francis Ngannou and other fighters who have voiced similar concerns.

Ilia Topuria’s only ‘hope’ from UFC and Dana White

Earlier this year, Dana White, who has faced scrutiny regarding his fighters’ compensation, shut down his doubters when he announced that the fighters’ bonuses would increase above the usual $50,000. This decision came after considering the pleas of Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje, particularly following ‘Blessed”s impressive victory over Gaethje, which motivated other fighters to deliver jaw-dropping performances in the promotion’s fight nights.

Ilia Topuria attempted to replicate this success last weekend, and he was emphatically successful. However, Dana White and company dampened Topuria’s hopes when he learned from a reporter that he would receive only $50,000 as a bonus. Stunned by the figure, ‘El Matador’ expressed his disappointment, stating, “Only 50k? … I knocked out Max Holloway and Dana only gives me 50k? I hope he’s gonna give me a little bit more. I hope so… I’m putting my hope in Dana.”

Now the ball is in the UFC’s court, and we will have to wait and see if they consider Ilia Topuria’s request. For now, he must be satisfied with what he received. What are your thoughts on ‘El Matador’s performance against Max Holloway? Do you think Topuria purely showcased his striking perfectly, or was it just a bad night for the former champion? Drop your opinion below.