Ilia Topuria has big goals after UFC 308.

This Saturday, Topuria defends his UFC featherweight title against Max Holloway in Abu Dhabi. It’s one of the most highly anticipated fights of the year, and it’s Topuria’s first title defense, but for “El Matador” it’s more than that: it’s the next step on a road to immortality.

Speaking with UFC on TNT Sports ahead of this weekend’s big event, Topuria revealed that in the next three years — by the time he’s 30 years old — he plans on being a three-division world champion.

“Probably a three-weight world champion, this is my goal,” Topuria said. “You’re not going to see me in the welterweight division like this, skinny. You’re going to see me different. That’s the goal. Move up to the lightweight division, get that belt, then move up to the welterweight division.”

Thus far, nine different fights have titles in two UFC weight classes, with only five doing so simultaneously. Thus far no fighter has ever even challenged for a title in three UFC weight classes, though recently, former UFC middleweight champion and current UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira teased the possibility of moving up to heavyweight to do so.

But first thing is first, Topuria has to settle his business with Holloway. The current “BMF” Champion has only lost to Alexander Volkanovski at featherweight over the past decade and presents a serious challenge to the young champion. But Topuria has his own challenge for Holloway come Saturday: to meet him in the middle, like Holloway has repeatedly done at the end of previous fights.

“If he stays in the middle the first 10 seconds of the fight, they’re going to see the most exciting 10 seconds in the UFC in MMA history,” Topuria promised. “It’s going to be fireworks. For sure I’m going to do that, and it’s going to be all up to him if he wants to stay with me or not.”

UFC 308 takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi this Saturday.

Resale tickets for the World Series opener between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium started at $1,358 on Monday evening on StubHub.

That’s an increase from opening prices on TickPick earlier Monday, where the cheapest tickets available came in at $999 and later increased to $1,085.

StubHub said sales outpaced last year’s final figures and are four times higher than the pace of the 2022 World Series Series. Sales for Games 3-5 in New York are 40% higher than for Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 in Los Angeles.

Vivid Seats, another resale outlet, said its average price of tickets sold for this year’s Series was $1,368, about double the $685 last year for the Texas Rangers–Arizona Diamondbacks matchup. Vivid said its resale price averaged $550 for the 2009 World Series between the Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies.

Vivid said the average price of tickets it sold Monday was $1,302 for Game 1 on Friday, $1,392 for Game 2 on Saturday, $1,443 for Game 3 at Yankee Stadium and $1,389 for Game 4 on Oct. 29. It did not disclose a figure of how many tickets it sold. As of Tuesday afternoon, the cheapest Game 3 ticket was standing room only at Yankee Stadium for $1,705.

For those unable to make it in person, Game 1 of the 2024 World Series will start at 8 p.m. ET Friday, and you can catch that and every game of the series on FOX and the FOX Sports App.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Holloway is the only fighter in UFC history to win an interim, undisputed and BMF title.

Holloway can become the second two-time featherweight champion in UFC history. Jose Aldo accomplished the feat.

Holloway’s knockout at the 4:59 mark of Round 5 at UFC 300 is the latest stoppage in a UFC championship fight.

Holloway competes in his 27th UFC featherweight bout, tied with Darren Elkins for most appearances in divisional history.

Holloway’s 22 victories in UFC competition are tied for fourth-most in company history behind Jim Miller (26), Andrei Arlovski (23) and Donald Cerrone (23).

Holloway’s 20 victories in UFC featherweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Holloway’s 11 knockout victories in UFC competition are tied for third-most in company history behind Derrick Lewis (15) and Matt Brown (13).

Holloway’s 11 stoppage victories in UFC featherweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Holloway’s nine knockout victories in UFC featherweight competition are most in divisional history.

Holloway’s seven third-round stoppage victories in UFC competition are most in company history.

Holloway has landed 100 or more significant strikes in 16 separate UFC fights, the most in company history. No other fighter has more than 10 such performances.

Holloway has landed 200 or more significant strikes in three separate UFC fights, the most in company history.

Holloway has landed 3,378 significant strikes in UFC competition, the most in company history.

Holloway has landed 3,622 total strikes in UFC competition are most in company history.

Holloway is the only fighter in UFC history to complete 29 octagon appearances without suffering a knockdown.

Holloway has absorbed 2,223 significant strikes in UFC competition, the most in company history.

Holloway landed 445 significant strikes against Calvin Kattar at UFC on ABC 1, the single-fight UFC record. His 744 significant strike attempts in that bout are also a single-fight record.

Holloway landed 447 total strikes at UFC on ABC 1, the single-fight UFC record. The previous high was 361. His 746 total strike attempts are also a single-fight record.

Holloway landed 141 significant strikes in Round 4 at UFC on ABC 1, the single-round UFC record.

Holloway’s 10 fight-night bonuses for UFC featherweight bouts are tied with Cub Swanson for most in divisional history.

Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev

ABU DHABI – Aleksandar Rakic sees his UFC 308 matchup with Magomed Ankalaev as a prime opportunity to shake up the light heavyweight title picture.

Given his 12-fight unbeaten streak in the division, many expected Ankalaev’s (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) next fight be a shot at reigning 205-pound champ Alex Pereira. It didn’t happen, though, and the promotion instead booked him against Rakic (14-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) on Saturday’s card at Etihad Arena on Yas Island (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN+).

UFC CEO Dana White has said that Ankalaev will get his title shot if he wins in solid fashion. But Rakic has other plans.

“I was happy,” Rakic told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. “UFC gives me the opportunity to fight against the No. 2-ranked guy, against Ankalaev, and he was supposed to fight. There were rumors,he was supposed to fight Pereira. But when I got the name, I immediately said yes. You know why? Because I think I put a good show at UFC 300 against Jiri Prochazka, and that’s the reason they chose me to fight Ankalaev.

“I take this chance really serious. I’ve been working hard for this one. On social media, I was seeing everything going back and forth with Ankalaev and Pereira. I didn’t want to say anything. My main focus was to train hard, to get ready for Ankalaev, to be 100 percent focused for him, and just to do a show on Saturday and crash the party.”

Ankalaev has spent most of the build to UFC 308 taking shots at Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) online and in interviews. Rakic said he hopes his opponent “underestimates” him going into the octagon this weekend but doesn’t think that’s going to be the case.

Rakic, 32, is expecting the best version of Ankalaev, 32, when they step in the cage. That would only elevate the value of a victory.

“He’s the most well rounded guy in the division besides me,” Rakic said. “I’m expecting an MMA fight. I think he will try to strike, he will try to grapple and wrestle. But I did my homework. I have been through hell the last weeks, and I did everything to have an answer to everything Ankalaev can bring.”

Rakic said he’s not looking past UFC 308 but is no doubt keen on the idea of getting his shot at Pereira. “Poatan” has run through most of the division’s top contenders already despite being champion for less than a year, and Rakic would represent a fresh face to fight for gold.

“He did great things in the light heavyweight division,” Rakic said. “He’s the most active champion we have right now in the UFC. He beat some really good names. I think the most important thing with Alex is to mix it up. Of course, everyone says, ‘Go wrestle him. Go grapple him.’ But, of course, he trains wrestling and grappling, as well, and he knows some defense and how to defend a takedown. It would not be so easy like the people would be thinking it would be.

“He has great kickboxing, but it’s all about the details. We are in the top five. He is the champion. We are all very good fighters, and there is no better league than UFC and no better fighters than the UFC has. So with Alex, you need to be conditioned and very ready and you need to mix things up.”

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

Dana White has taken his praise of Jon Jones to new heights.

Jones will defend the UFC heavyweight title for the first time Nov. 16 at UFC 309 against Stipe Miocic in the main event at Madison Square Garden. White has spent the better part of 2024 standing his ground about Jones being the best ever, and the current No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the promotion despite not competing since winning his second divisional title at UFC 285 in March 2023.

Now, White says Jones’ greatness extends beyond the UFC and MMA, but to all of combat sports — and beyond,

“I think he’s the greatest combat sports fighter of all time,” White said on Outta Pocket With RGIII. “I think he’s the greatest fighter of all time. Big back and forth with me and the media right now about Jon Jones over all of this stuff, but Jon Jones is probably the baddest dude to ever walk the face of the Earth. Even the guys I love like Ali and Tyson, and a lot of the great heavyweights that’s existed throughout the history of combat sports, Jon Jones can do it all.

“Jon Jones will grab you, maul you, elbow you, he can do everything.”

Jones, the multi-time light heavyweight champion, never lost the belt in a fight during his 205 pound run. He was either stripped, or vacated the championship — the latter happening in 2020 following a controversial decision win against Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in February 2020. “Bones” spent over three years building up his body for heavyweight before his long-awaited return, where he submitted Ciryl Gane in the first round at UFC 285 to win the vacant title.