UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has expressed doubts about the abilities of his upcoming opponent Ilia Topuria, stating that he has yet to see the “elite stuff” from Topuria and that he needs to show more than what he has demonstrated so far.
Alexander Volkanovski isn’t exactly wowed by Ilia Topuria’s recent performances. Volkanovski is set to defend his UFC featherweight title for the sixth time on Feb. 17. His opponent? Undefeated challenger Ilia Topuria at UFC 298.
Volkanovski has had a bit of a rough patch in recent times. He’s lost two out of his last three fights, both in a weight class above his usual. His opponents were no slouches, though – one of them was Islam Makhachev, the lightweight champ. Despite these losses, Volkanovski is still the top dog in the 145-pound division.
He’s got a perfect 12-0 record in his weight class. But when he looks at Topuria’s journey to this title shot, he’s not exactly floored. “I think [Topuria] may be [getting] rushed,” Volkanovski opined on The MMA Hour. He’s not saying Topuria isn’t good. He could be as good as he claims, but he hasn’t proved it yet.
Topuria, 26, holds a 6-0 record under the UFC umbrella. Most of these wins were in the featherweight division. His victories include first-round knockouts of Damon Jackson and Ryan Hall, a submission victory over Bryce Mitchell, and a dominant decision over Josh Emmett.
Thanks to these wins, Topuria’s star is on the rise. He’s currently tied with Yair Rodriguez as MMA Fighting’s third-best 145-pound fighter in the world. But Volkanovski isn’t exactly shaking in his boots.
“He needs to show us something, because right now I haven’t seen it,” Volkanovski said. He’s not saying Topuria isn’t elite. He might be in the gym. He looks durable, tough, fundamentally sound. But he needs to show more than just being fundamentally sound.
Volkanovski, 35, is one of the most dominant featherweights in UFC history. He’s currently ranked as MMA Fighting’s No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He’s got an impressive list of victories under his belt, including wins over Max Holloway (x3), Brian Ortega, Rodriguez, Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes, and Chan Sung Jung.
But he’s also the oldest champion in UFC history under 170 pounds. He’s coming off the first knockout loss of his career in his brutal outing against Makhachev. This has led many to question whether Volkanovski’s reign is coming to an end.
Some even wonder if the UFC is hoping for a Topuria upset to open up a new market in Spain. But if you know anything about Volkanovski, you know that he loves this kind of doubt.
“Put it this way, if I didn’t probably do that faceoff with [Topuria], and me mentioning his name, he probably wouldn’t have got it as easy as he did,” Volkanovski said. He’s always wanted a No. 1 contender. He’s been calling out these guys, saying, ‘Yeah, let’s do it. Next [man up].’
He’s sure the UFC has plans. Topuria mentioned an event in Spain. Volkanovski thinks that’s a possibility. He’s sure they want to go over there, as it’s a big market. Topuria has a big following there. But Volkanovski is confident that he’ll ruin their plans. “He ain’t getting the belt,” he said.