Topuria isn’t willing to commit to fighting Volkanovski next if he beats Holloway at UFC 308.
Alexander Volkanovski continues to insist he’s got next on the featherweight title once Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway fight at UFC 308. But as far as Topuria is concerned, fighting Volk again after beating Holloway is not a sure thing at all.
In a new interview with Kolmenero, Topuria discussed who’s next after he successfully defends his title in Abu Dhabi.
“I don’t know, honestly,” he said. As for Volkanovski? “That guy surprises me sometimes because he is very strange. I’ve seen the latest statements he’s been making about my fight with Max Holloway. He thinks that Max is going to beat me. I don’t think he really believes that. It’s what he wants. Because it’s much easier to do a rematch with a guy you have beaten three times than with the one who has knocked you out in seven minutes. Obviously.”
“He is a bit of a scoundrel,” Topuria added. “If I dominated you, if I knocked you out, how are you going to say a guy that beat you three times is going to beat me? I don’t really understand it.”
Topuria is clearly high on his own form of MMA Math, forgetting that styles make fights and just because A beat B and C beat A, it doesn’t mean C beats B. Volkanovski is a volume fighter, while Holloway does volume and precision boxing. He also has a granite chin, as tested recently against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. If Topuria expects an easier fight because he beat Volkanovski and Volkanovski beat Holloway, he’ll be in for a rude awakening come October 26th.
But back to Topuria’s next defense after Holloway, if he manages to beat “Blessed.”
“Will [Alex] be the next one to face me? I don’t know, honestly,” Ilia said. “It depends on how things develop within the division. Maybe it’s Diego Lopes, maybe the next fight is against Diego Lopes. Who knows?”
Ilia Topuria says he doesn’t know if Alexander Volkanovski is next in line for a title shot, and says he’s ‘strange’ for predicting that Max Holloway will beat him:
“I don’t think he really believes that [Max will beat me]. It’s what he wants. Because it’s much easier to do a… pic.twitter.com/34n0Pgyuf7
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 21, 2024
Topuria has become a legit star in Spain and across Europe, and he’s clearly a skilled and exciting fighter. He Over here in North America, his popularity continues to struggle a bit of the back of comments like this. Guys like Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski don’t deserve their title shots. He says he’s not interested in fighting them. He calls for bigger fights, then suggests Diego Lopes as his next opponent.
It could all be trolling, but we’re seeing a whole lot of dodging from champions that don’t want to face the toughest fights in their division. And in a way, we don’t blame Topuria. He beat Volkanovski in seven minutes. It would be hard to top that, so why try? McGregor never gave Aldo a chance to avenge that seven second loss. Paint a perfect painting and move on. But let’s be real about what’s going on.