While many believed that a bout between Max Holloway and Ilia Topuria was all but confirmed for UFC 306, Dana White has been teasing a BMF fight at the event. In light of such a development, veteran fighter Chael Sonnen made a shocking claim, insisting he knows exactly what the UFC head honcho is planning.
Speaking to his co-host, Daniel Cormier, on an episode of the ‘Good Guy/Bad Guy’ podcast, Sonnen insisted that Holloway vs Topuria was one of the worst-kept UFC secrets. Moreover, even though the fight has never been officially announced, Sonnen believed it was all but confirmed, which is why, White teasing a BMF fight at UFC 306 surprised him.
“When Dana said that [BMF Fight] I didn’t know how to interpret it, I’m going, hey wait a minute you’ve already got the BMF, you’ve already got Max vs Topuria and if you’re talking about putting up the BMF title, does that mean you’re adding it to the pot of featherweight belts?,” said the veteran.
Considering White approach to a probable BMF fight at UFC 303, despite Holloway vs Topuria being an open secret, Sonnen alleged that the UFC CEO might be plotting something different. He then made a startling prediction, hinting that White has already lost Topuria and that’s why he is pushing for a BMF title fight at the sphere, saying,
“I don’t think so, I don’t think Dana would speak that way. I’m worried that he lost Ilia Topuria but if he lost Ilia Topuria and he is keeping Max Holloway, allow me to be first to try to insert the name opposite Max – Charles Oliviera! You hear it here first.”
In a nutshell, Sonnen doesn’t see Topuria vs Holloway materializing at the Sphere and is instead betting his money on a BMF title bout between Charles ‘De Bronx’ Oliviera and ‘The Blessed.’ Nevertheless, despite all the confusion, the UFC boss is confident about making the September 14 event “The greatest live sporting event in the history of combat sports.”
White teases massive fights at the Sphere amidst the Mexican-heavy lineup
On September 14th, the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada will witness a massive spectacle as the UFC will treat its fans to a stellar feature on Mexican Independence Day. With White teasing more details about the super event, UFC 306 is certainly going to be a rollercoaster for all attendees.
During a conversation with popular YouTuber, Pat McAfee, the UFC CEO insisted that he had already spent $17 million on the upcoming event. Moreover, White doubled down on his promise to make it the “greatest live sporting event,” saying,
“When I say that I’m going to put on the greatest live sporting event in the history of combat sports, maybe in sports, period. I’m going in one night, one time, never again. It’s going to be the most unique bad-a**ed, incredible show that you’ve ever seen in sports.”
While the promoter did not reveal further details of the fight card, the plan is to have 10 fights on the card. As always, the card will feature a main and co-main event in a Mexican-heavy card. Furthermore, the event will be a money spinner for the company, as concerned authorities are aiming for a different fan experience this time, making use of haptic feedback integrated with the arena’s infrasound system.