Ilia Topuria vows to be the first man to knockout Max Holloway, claiming his dynamite fists are even more explosive than that of Conor McGregor.

On Saturday night, at UFC 308, ‘El Matador’ will attempt to defend his featherweight throne against ‘Blessed’ at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Ilia Topuria says he carries superior power to Conor McGregor and will use it to finish Max Holloway

In just a matter of days, Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway will go to war in a match-up that looks destined to create fireworks.

The bout pits a champion with ferocious power against a volume striker renowned for dragging his opponents into deep waters before drowning them under a wave of his unrelenting fists.

Boasting one of the best engines in all of sport, Holloway has won the hearts of fans, with many expecting Topuria to succumb to the same fate as many others have before him.

However, the champion is confident that this won’t happen, insisting he has the venom in his fists to put his rival to sleep.

When asked during the UFC 308 press conference, why he thinks he’ll be the first man to stop Holloway when the likes of Conor McGregor couldn’t, the warrior replied: “None of them have the power that I have in my hands. None of them have the skills I have.

“Guys, listen, I was saying the same thing with Alexander Volkanovski, and you all had the same energy, but you’re going to change your mind after Saturday night. I will be the first one to take his lights out.”

Taking things a step further, Topuria then refused to acknowledge Holloway as the BMF champion, insisting that the accolade still belongs to ‘Gamebred’.

The 27-year-old exclaimed: “He’s not the real BMF Champion. This belt was created for Jorge Masvidal, and he’s (Holloway’s) just a fake BMF; he’s going to see when I point at the center of the octagon—who’s the real one.”