SUMMARY
- Alexander Volkanovski will be defending his title against Ilia Topuria at UFC 298.
- During an interview, Volkanovski said that he couldn't wait to humble Topuria at UFC 298.
Alexander ‘The Great’ Volkanovski is an Australian professional MMA fighter who competes in the UFC. The 35-year-old fighter is the current UFC featherweight champion and has been the champ since December 2019. With a professional MMA record of 26-3-0, Volkanovski is a UFC legend and possibly the greatest featherweight ever in the history of the UFC.
At one point, the Australian held a UFC winning streak of 12 wins since his UFC debut in November 2016. Volkanovski is the current pound-for-pound #3 in the UFC. Perhaps his most impressive feat is that the 35-year-old has never been beaten at featherweight. Both of his two UFC losses came at the hands of Islam Makhachev in the lightweight division.
We’ve got a STACKED card this Saturday at #UFC298!!
🏆 Alexander Volkanovski vs Ilia Topuria
💥 Robert Whittaker vs Paulo Costa
👊 Merab Dvalishvili vs Henry Cejudo pic.twitter.com/nWcoeZf4bd— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) February 12, 2024
But that could change in the main event at UFC 298 on February 17, 2024. Volkanovski will defend his title against Ilia ‘El Matador’ Topuria at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Many claim the showdown against the unbeaten Spaniard would be Volkanovski’s toughest title defense to date. Volkanovski spoke about his upcoming opponent in an interview on the ‘main event’ YouTube channel.
Alexander Volkanovski can’t wait to humble Ilia Topuria at UFC 298
When asked about Ilia Topuria during the interview, Alexander Volkanovski talked about the 27-year-old’s recent antics. Volkanovski said that the only way to beat him in his division was by “catching” him. He further claimed that he doesn’t care about the 14 fights that Ilia has had up until now. Volkanovski feels like Topuria is going to be tested against him.
Claiming that he needs to be humbled, Alexander said, “He needs a bit of humbling… He’s probably not that bad of a kid, but I think it is going to his head… I think he thinks he’s a superstar already… He literally thinks he’s the money fighter already. Some of the things he’s saying, he needs a rude awakening.”
Alexander Volkanovski feels that Ilia Topuria will be a changed man after their fight. Volkanovski said that he would be the one to teach him a lesson in the octagon. The champ said, “And I think that’s going to make him a better fighter. I think it’ll make him a better human, a better father, you name it. I think it’ll just make him an all better person. So I’m going to do the man a favor. I’m going to teach him a lesson.”
Volkanovski did not stop at that, though. He further went on to guarantee a few things to the Spaniard, Ilia Topuria, ahead of their showdown in the octagon at UFC 298.
Alexander Volkanovski guarantees one thing ahead of his title defense at UFC 298
When asked what he thought about Ilia Topuria’s Instagram bio claiming a 15-0-0 record ahead of time and about his upcoming documentary titled ‘Road to the Belt’ while not even having won the belt yet. Volkanovski called out the 27-year-old about getting the belt, saying, “They’re going to need a couple of extra ones… They’re going to need a one, two (movies) because he ain’t getting it this time.”
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According to Alexander Volkanovski, Ilia Topuria will need not just one but even more sequels to his movies. Because El Matador wasn’t going to get the title off him, not this time at least. Moreover, he said, “Then he’s going to have a sequel… So he’s going to have one after that because he ain’t getting the title this time, I guarantee you.”
Alexander Volkanovski also commented on how this could be a big part of Topuria’s story, where the Australian teaches him a lesson. Volkanovski even said, “I’m going to do this so he can maybe one day be champion later because he ain’t going to be a great champion with that mentality he has and the way he carries himself.” He even claimed that El Matador would later thank Alex for teaching him a lesson.
The tension brewing between the two is surely a treat to watch in the lead-up to their showdown. It is pretty clear what Alexander ‘The Great’ Volkanovski feels about Ilia ‘El Matador’ Topuria ahead of their matchup. But who will reign supreme in the octagon on fight night, according to you? Let us know in the comments below.
