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Alexander Volkanovski claims Ilia Topuria fight may ‘Look easy’ at UFC 298, predicts dominant win

Alexander Volkanovski vows to make Ilia Topuria fight "look easy" at UFC 298 this weekend Undisputed featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski has claimed onlookers should not be necessarily surprised if his fight with incoming title…

Undisputed featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski has claimed onlookers should not be necessarily surprised if his fight with incoming title chaser, Ilia Topuria “looks easy” come the conclusion of their UFC 298 title clash this weekend in Anaheim, California.

Volkanovski, the current undisputed featherweight titleholder, is slated to headline UFC 298 this weekend in California, attempting to lodge another successful defense of his crown in a showdown against the unbeaten, Topuria.

As for Topuria, the Spaniard headlined a UFC Fight Night Jacksonville card last summer against former interim championship challenger, Josh Emmett – landing a dominant decision win over the Arizona native.

And meeting face-to-face with Topuria during yesterday’s picture shoot – in which the challenger was strapped with Volkanovski’s championship belt, the Australian was predicted as losing his title early and in devastating fashion, according to the former.

Alexander Volkanovski eyes “easy” win over Ilia Topuria

However, as far as New South Wales technician, Volkanovski is concerned, fans and viewers should not be surprised if he landed an “easy’ victory over Topuria at UFC 298.

“I’m ready for a young, hungry prospect to come and bring a fight,” Alexander Volkanovski told assembled media during his availability ahead of UFC 298. “But I won’t be surprised – and you shouldn’t be surprised – if I make it look easy. I’m not saying that’s exactly how it is. I’m not cocky like that. I’ve prepared properly, but if he doesn’t land a punch and I rag-doll him and make him look like nothing in there, you shouldn’t be surprised.”

In his most recent outing at the featherweight limit, Volkanovski successfully unified the divisional titles at UFC 290 back in July of last year during International Fight Week, turning in a dominant, eventual ground strikes TKO win over former interim champion, Yair Rodríguez.

Who wins at UFC 298 this weekend: Alexander Volkanovski or Ilia Topuria?

UFC 298 Predictions: Bleacher Report Main Card Staff Picks

UFC 298 goes down this Saturday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, which means it’s time for another round of pre-fight predictions from the B/R combat sports…

Dana White pumps brakes on brash ego of Ilia Topuria ahead of UFC 298: ‘He still has a lot to prove’

Promotional CEO, Dana White has issued a word of warning to incoming featherweight title challenger, Ilia Topuria ahead of…

Promotional CEO, Dana White has issued a word of warning to incoming featherweight title challenger, Ilia Topuria ahead of UFC 298 this weekend, claiming the German-born contender “still has a lot to prove” to fans before his title fight with Alexander Volkanovski.

Topuria, the current number three ranked featherweight contender, returns to the Octagon in hsi first main event slot atop a pay-per-view – taking headlining honors at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California – as he takes on featherweight great, Volkanovski.

In the midst of a promotional-perfect run so far since his 2020 landing in the Octagon, Topuria, who brings with him a massive Spanish following to his premier title tilt at UFC 298, has vowed to stop the Australian early, as well as denying a championship fight to a host of contenders, as well as chasing a super clash with ex-titleholder, Conor McGregor.

Dana White talks Ilia Topuria’s rise

However, reacting to Topuria’s brash persona as of recent times, promotional leader, White claimed the incoming featherweight championship hopeful still has a long way to go and much to prove on is journey with the organization.

“As much of a stud as [Ilia Topuria] is, he’s still got a lot to prove,” White told Kevin Iole during a recent interview. “I don’t know about that [a call out to Conor McGregor]. I think he’s got a lot to – listen, when you’re undefeated, you’ve never tasted defeat, and you’ve been on the rise that this guy is on, that’s the way you should be thinking and that’s what your mentality should be. But we’ll see how it plays out on Saturday night.” (H/T MMA Mania)

In his most recent Octagon appearance, Topuria landed a dominant unanimous decision win over former interim featherweight title challenger, Josh Emmett in the main event of a UFC Fight Night Jacksonville card last summer.

Can Ilia Topuria land featherweight gold at UFC 298?

UFC Hall of Famer believes Ilia Topuria has set himself up for Conor McGregor-like ascent to superstardom

If Ilia Topuria gets the job done against Alexander Volkanovski, it could trigger his Conor McGregor-like ascent to superstardom….

If Ilia Topuria gets the job done against Alexander Volkanovski, it could trigger his Conor McGregor-like ascent to superstardom.

That is according to UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier who believes that ‘El Matador’ has done an excellent job of setting himself up to cash in should he leave Anaheim’s Honda Center with featherweight gold wrapped around his waist on February 17.

“[Topuria’s confidence] reminds me of Conor about to fight Jose Aldo,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “He told you, and he was so sure that he was going to get it done that you knew that if it happened, he would become a star that we’ve never seen in the UFC before or in fighting. So, when it happened, he went to the moon. I feel like Ilia Topuria is setting himself up to have that type of ascent if he can deliver on all of the promises that he is making.”

Ilia Topuria Faces His Toughest Test at UFC 298

Topuria has been brimming with confidence ever since his fight with reigning 145-pound champ Alexander Volkanovski was announced. And why wouldn’t he? He’s 14-0 in his mixed martial arts career with six of those victories coming under the UFC banner.

But he’s never fought someone like ‘The Great’

Ilia Topuria’s strength of schedule isn’t exactly doing him any favors in the eyes of his skeptics. After all, he only holds two victories over fighters in the featherweight top 15 — Bryce Mitchell and Josh Emmett. To his credit, Emmett is a former interim title challenger, but Mitchell is yet to prove himself as anything more than a mouthpiece for crazy conspiracy theories.

Still, ‘El Matador’ is confident that he’ll put away Volkanovski inside the distance. So much so that he’s already added “UFC world champion” to his social media profiles and is actively working on a documentary that follows his journey from contender to would-be king.

“It seems like all [Topuria] wants to do is put pressure on himself,” Cormier said. “This dude has now said he’s releasing a movie on becoming the champion of the world, this dude has updated his [social media] bio with another win and he’s now the UFC featherweight champion.

“This dude has stated he wants to fight in the same stadium where Real Madrid plays football in Spain. This dude has said to anyone that will listen how Alexander Volkanovski can not compete with him. Most people under these circumstances want to release the pressure. Not this dude” (h/t MMA Fighting).

Are you buying into Ilia Topuria’s self-imposed hype, or do you think his overabundance of confidence is going to blow up in his face come fight night?

UFC Hall of Famer believes Ilia Topuria has set himself up for Conor McGregor-like ascent to superstardom

If Ilia Topuria gets the job done against Alexander Volkanovski, it could trigger his Conor McGregor-like ascent to superstardom….

If Ilia Topuria gets the job done against Alexander Volkanovski, it could trigger his Conor McGregor-like ascent to superstardom.

“[Topuria’s confidence] reminds me of Conor about to fight Jose Aldo,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “He told you, and he was so sure that he was going to get it done that you knew that if it happened, he would become a star that we’ve never seen in the UFC before or in fighting. So, when it happened, he went to the moon. I feel like Ilia Topuria is setting himself up to have that type of ascent if he can deliver on all of the promises that he is making.”

Ilia Topuria Faces His Toughest Test at UFC 298

But he’s never fought someone like ‘The Great’

“It seems like all [Topuria] wants to do is put pressure on himself,” Cormier said. “This dude has now said he’s releasing a movie on becoming the champion of the world, this dude has updated his [social media] bio with another win and he’s now the UFC featherweight champion.

“This dude has stated he wants to fight in the same stadium where Real Madrid plays football in Spain. This dude has said to anyone that will listen how Alexander Volkanovski can not compete with him. Most people under these circumstances want to release the pressure. Not this dude” (h/t MMA Fighting).

Are you buying into Ilia Topuria’s self-imposed hype, or do you think his overabundance of confidence is going to blow up in his face come fight night?

Video – UFC 298’s Alexander Volkanovski offers hilarious response to claims that he’s ‘too old’ to fight

Alexander Volkanovski doesn’t have gray hairs. They’re just wisdom highlights. On Saturday, February 17 the reigning featherweight world champion…

Alexander Volkanovski doesn’t have gray hairs. They’re just wisdom highlights.

On Saturday, February 17 the reigning featherweight world champion will return to the Octagon determined to defend his title for the sixth time against undefeated standout Ilia Topuria. Leading up to their highly anticipated clash inside the Honda Center at UFC 298, ‘The Great’ has been inundated with comments from fight fans suggesting that the 35-year-old’s best days are behind him.

Instead of biting back at his skeptics, Volkanovski decided to lean into the narrative that he’s “too old” to fight via a hilarious promo in partnership with Sportsbet. In the clip— which you can see below — the champ takes part in a series of adventures commonly associated with the elderly. Gardening, falling asleep seconds after popping a videotape into the VCR (everyone under 25 can learn what that is right here), bickering with his neighbors, and running off some sidewalk skateboarders.

Sportsbooks have Volkanovski vs. Topuria as a Pick’em

Alexander Volkanovski is a cool 13-0 inside the Octagon as a featherweight, but after suffering not one, but two losses against current lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev in 2023, it is feared that ‘The Great’ may have lost a step or two.

As for Topuria, the first-time title challenger is coming in on a hot streak, winning his first 14 career fights, six of them coming under the UFC banner.

Currently, DraftKings has the bout listed as a pick’em with both Volkanovski and Topuria sitting at a -110.