And still. UFC 308 might have forced him to miss the Clasico (perhaps for the best, since his beloved Real Madrid lost 4-0 to Barcelona), but Ilia Topuria spent the time well, rising to the third round Max Holloway's knockout catapulted to a new level of fame on Saturday in Abu Dhabi.

Topuria was already a champion. Now he's on his way to MMA greatness. But he's not the only one who made an impact at UFC 308. Here are the key takeaways from the day's action.

1. Ilia Topuria may be the best fighter in the world right now

Nobody knocks out Max Holloway. Not always. He has competed with the best from different eras and divisions, and no one has ever been able to beat him with punches. Not yet.

I'm not saying Topuria made it look easy, but he made it look inevitable. The way he pursued Holloway from the start, landing with speed, precision and power without ever having to force anything – Holloway simply had no chance of sustainably getting his own game going. Topuria has so many strengths and, at least so far, really no known weaknesses. It's hard to imagine who will dethrone him in this division.

2. Stop fooling around and give Khamzat Chimaev the next middleweight title shot

I admit I doubted him in his last appearance, but anyone who can force Robert Whittaker to tap within a round has to be considered a top contender for the 185-pound title. Maybe there are still questions about Chimaev's ability to win a long, tough fight, but that's not such a big problem if you keep finishing things before you even get there.

Instead of making UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis fight back against Sean Strickland, let's get some youth into the title picture. I know there might be travel issues for Chimaev, not to mention the question of consistency after he's been fighting on average once a year lately, but still – if you leave out “Bobby Knuckles” there are no more opponents, that make sense except the champion.

3. Magomed Ankalaev somehow manages to be the least compelling but undeniable title contender in the entire UFC

Yes, he won. Again. Then he sat down at the microphone and said the right words to Alex Pereira, even if he had to be trained the whole time.

But is anyone really looking forward to seeing Ankaralaev fight for the title? It feels like we have to do something, if only because at some point it becomes pretty ridiculous to keep reaching past him in the rankings to find people for the champion to compete against.

If Pereira doesn't move up or down in weight to pursue more titles, then he'll probably have to defend the belt against Ankalaev next. It would just be nice if this felt less like a dreary obligation.

4. Shara “Bullet” gave us a new one for the highlight reel

The double-spinning backfist knockout? Feels like something you'd do in a video game if it's the only move you know. But Shara Magomedov got it done against Armen Petrosyan, giving him his fourth straight UFC win and his second knockout win in the UFC.

The big question is: What is the ceiling for this guy? Not just in terms of talent, but also in terms of usability. All of his UFC fights have taken place in either Abu Dhabi or Saudi Arabia. It's unclear if he will be able to fight in America or if the UFC will even try to make it happen. That makes a rise to the title seem much more doubtful.

5. If you only watch one fight from the UFC 308 prelims, it's Mateusz Rebecki vs. Myktybek Orolbai

As bad as the two of them will feel the next morning, the least we can all do is appreciate the battle they put up with each other. Orolbai's right eye was virtually closed by the end of the first round. Rebecki was slashed by a headbutt in the second round and began pouring about two liters of blood onto the mat. Nevertheless, they gave their best until the last beep.

I think a decision win for Rebecki was the right decision, but Orolbai's courage and heart also deserve recognition. It's not easy to stand out from the competition with a card like this, but these two did it.