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The UFC’s pound-for-pound pecking order has changed dramatically since the beginning of this year. Just think about all that’s happened. We saw former…
The UFC’s pound-for-pound pecking order has changed dramatically since the beginning of this year. Just think about all that’s happened. We saw former…
Ilia Topuria is feeling pretty confident ahead of his first UFC title opportunity. So much so that ‘El Matador’…
Ilia Topuria is feeling pretty confident ahead of his first UFC title opportunity.
So much so that ‘El Matador’ has already added “UFC World Champion” to his social media profiles roughly two months away from his featherweight title clash with the reigning and defending king of the division, Alexander Volkanovski, at UFC 298 in Anaheim.
Topuria rides into his first championship opportunity with an undefeated 14-0 record, six of those wins coming under the UFC banner. ‘El Matador’ established his spot with a big unanimous decision victory over former interim title challenger Josh Emmett at UFC on ABC 5 in June.
Meanwhile, Alexander Volkanovski will be looking to bounce back after suffering a first-round knockout against current lightweight champ Islam Makhachev. ‘The Great’ stepped into the UFC 294 title tilt on 11 days’ notice and ultimately paid the price.
Though it was his second straight loss while challenging for the 155-pound crown, Volkanovski has looked practically unbeatable at featherweight and there’s nothing on Ilia Topuria’s resume to make him think that his reign at 145 will end in 2024.
“He needs to do something in February to show elite level because right now, I haven’t seen it,” Volkanovski told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “That doesn’t mean he’s not elite… But, there’s gonna be levels where you need to be more than just fundamentally sound. Like, if he thinks he’s gonna be able to outwrestle me, with what I’ve seen, he needs to show more than what he’s done, a lot more. Submission-wise, a lot more.
“I haven’t seen him do anything more special than any other of the guys that I’ve faced,” Volkanovski continued. “That doesn’t mean he’s not that good, but he needs to show me that. With the striking, again, durable, powerful dude, very fundamentally sound… But again, it’s so much more than that. I’ll leave it at that” (h/t MMA News).
2023 was quite a year for MMA. We watched Francis Ngannou leave the UFC, sign with the PFL, and score a blockbuster boxing match with Tyson Fury. We saw Jon…
2023 was quite a year for MMA. We watched Francis Ngannou leave the UFC, sign with the PFL, and score a blockbuster boxing match with Tyson Fury. We saw Jon…
Making his first featherweight championship charge at UFC 298 in March of next year, surging Georgian contender, Ilia Topuria…
Making his first featherweight championship charge at UFC 298 in March of next year, surging Georgian contender, Ilia Topuria has claimed incumbent gold holder, Alexander Volkanovski stand no chance of escaping Anaheim, California with his title in tow come the culmination of their clash.
Topuria, the current number five ranked featherweight contender, most recently headlined a UFC Fight Night Jacksonville card back in June – earning Fight of the Night honors in a unanimous decision shutout win over former interim title chaser, Josh Emmett earlier this summer.
And as for Volkanovski, the undisputed featherweight champion, most recently headlined UFC 294 back in October, suffering a stunning opening round high-kick KO loss to lightweight titleholder, Islam Makhachev in the pair’s title rematch in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
In his most recent featherweight appearance, New South Wales favorite, Volkanovski turned in a successful championship unification win over then-interim gold holder, Yair Rodríguez – and formally held the top spot on the pound-for-pound ranking totem pole.
Claiming earlier this month how Topuria needs to be humbled in their UFC 298 title clash in March of next year, Volkanovski apparently stands no chance of retaining his title in Anaheim – that’s according to the incoming challenger.
“He (Alexander Volkanovski) doesn’t stand a chance,” Ilia Topuria told ESPN Deportes. “He has zero opportunity. I don’t see any holes, but I can tell how he attacks. The only attack I see is that he is going to kick my legs. That’s the only thing that he can do.”
Spoke with @Topuriailia who says it's been studying Alexander Volkanovski for weeks, expects to put a masterpiece and face one of the easier fights of his career against the featherweight champion in #UFC298
Via @ESPNDeportes https://t.co/nYJogqgqOO pic.twitter.com/Z3Hvba1NYe
— Carlos Contreras Legaspi
(@CCLegaspi) December 8, 2023
“He has good cardio,” Ilia Topuria explained. “But everyone has good cardio when they’re not under pressure. When you’re walking forward, you’ll have good cardio. But when you’re in trouble, cardio tends to fade away, and this will be the case. He will have someone in front of him that never goes back. I think it’s going to be perfect. It’s going to be a masterpiece, to hit and don’t get hit. That’s what you will see in this combat. You’ll see an authentic mixed martial artist.”
Who wins at UFC 298 next March: Alexander Volkanovski or Ilia Topuria?
Making his first featherweight championship charge at UFC 298 in March of next year, surging Georgian contender, Ilia Topuria…
Making his first featherweight championship charge at UFC 298 in March of next year, surging Georgian contender, Ilia Topuria has claimed incumbent gold holder, Alexander Volkanovski stand no chance of escaping Anaheim, California with his title in tow come the culmination of their clash.
Topuria, the current number five ranked featherweight contender, most recently headlined a UFC Fight Night Jacksonville card back in June – earning Fight of the Night honors in a unanimous decision shutout win over former interim title chaser, Josh Emmett earlier this summer.
And as for Volkanovski, the undisputed featherweight champion, most recently headlined UFC 294 back in October, suffering a stunning opening round high-kick KO loss to lightweight titleholder, Islam Makhachev in the pair’s title rematch in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
In his most recent featherweight appearance, New South Wales favorite, Volkanovski turned in a successful championship unification win over then-interim gold holder, Yair Rodríguez – and formally held the top spot on the pound-for-pound ranking totem pole.
Claiming earlier this month how Topuria needs to be humbled in their UFC 298 title clash in March of next year, Volkanovski apparently stands no chance of retaining his title in Anaheim – that’s according to the incoming challenger.
“He (Alexander Volkanovski) doesn’t stand a chance,” Ilia Topuria told ESPN Deportes. “He has zero opportunity. I don’t see any holes, but I can tell how he attacks. The only attack I see is that he is going to kick my legs. That’s the only thing that he can do.”
Spoke with @Topuriailia who says it's been studying Alexander Volkanovski for weeks, expects to put a masterpiece and face one of the easier fights of his career against the featherweight champion in #UFC298
Via @ESPNDeportes https://t.co/nYJogqgqOO pic.twitter.com/Z3Hvba1NYe
— Carlos Contreras Legaspi
“He has good cardio,” Ilia Topuria explained. “But everyone has good cardio when they’re not under pressure. When you’re walking forward, you’ll have good cardio. But when you’re in trouble, cardio tends to fade away, and this will be the case. He will have someone in front of him that never goes back. I think it’s going to be perfect. It’s going to be a masterpiece, to hit and don’t get hit. That’s what you will see in this combat. You’ll see an authentic mixed martial artist.”
Who wins at UFC 298 next March: Alexander Volkanovski or Ilia Topuria?
Almost nobody could have imagined Sean Strickland would be the UFC middleweight champion at the end of 2023. There’s no question that he’s always been good,…
Almost nobody could have imagined Sean Strickland would be the UFC middleweight champion at the end of 2023. There’s no question that he’s always been good,…
(@CCLegaspi)