Alexander Volkanovski‘s coach, Craig Jones, has laughed off Ilia Topuria‘s confidence ahead of their UFC 298 fight, despite Topuria’s undefeated record and recent wins.
Alexander Volkanovski’s upcoming UFC 298 face-off with Ilia Topuria has him amused. That’s the vibe, at least.
This amusement comes from Volkanovski’s jiu-jitsu coach, Craig Jones. He recently spoke on The MMA Hour about the upcoming featherweight title defense. The fight is set for Saturday in Anaheim, California.
Topuria’s social media accounts now boast a 15-0 record and a world champion status. Seems like he’s already calling the fight a win. Sometimes, it feels like he’s looking past “The Great.”
Jones? He just laughs at that.
Ilia, he says, might be having an identity crisis. Already thinks he’s the champ. Born in Germany, raised in Georgia, and calls himself the ‘El Matador.’ Jones spent a summer in Puerto Rico once. Doesn’t make him a Boricua. But Topuria? He’s an interesting guy, alright.
Jones finds it more funny than anything. Hard to take a man in a turtleneck sweater too seriously, he says.
Topuria’s confidence isn’t entirely unfounded. Undefeated record, six UFC wins, and a recent thrashing of Josh Emmett. Volkanovski, on the other hand, is making a case for being the greatest featherweight of all time. Never lost at 145 pounds. Wins over Max Holloway, Jose Aldo, Brian Ortega, The Korean Zombie, and Yair Rodriguez.
But Volkanovski’s had losses in two of his last three fights. Both against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. Turned 35 last September. Some say he’s too old to reign over the featherweight division. Topuria, they say, is the next in line.
Jones thinks the UFC might favor Topuria. A stadium sell-out in Spain sounds good, business-wise. But Volkanovski’s a big star. Either way, they’ll make it work. A fresh champ from time to time isn’t a bad thing, right?
Topuria’s already filming a documentary about himself. Bold move, Jones thinks. He’s seen similar moves in his sport of grappling. If he’d made a documentary about becoming ADCC champ, it’d be a sad, long story now. He’s lost ADCC four times. Topuria’s got some guts, throwing that documentary out there.
Jones respects Topuria’s skills. But it’s hard to evaluate him. They haven’t seen him against elite opponents like Holloway and Rodriguez. Still, Jones backs Volkanovski to outwork Topuria, whether on the feet or on the ground.
As for the ground game, Jones has a prediction. A spectacular finish by the champ – if he sticks to the plan.
“I’m thinking flying triangle, maybe first round,” Jones says. “I’m really pushing, every single fight, I was like, ‘Volk, I know you’ve got your legacy on the line, but think about my instructional sales. That’s our top priority here.'”