Alexander Volkanovski wished a rematch with Ilia Topuria, however has no downside with the featherweight champion transferring as much as chase a second belt as a substitute.
Talks of reserving Topuria vs. Volkanovski emerged instantly after the principle occasion of UFC 298, which noticed Topuria rating a second-round knockout of Volkanovski to grow to be featherweight champion. Topuria went on to efficiently defend the title with one other gorgeous knockout of former titleholder Max Holloway, whereas Volkanovski has spent the higher a part of the previous 12 months having fun with a well-deserved break from competitors.
Volkanovski returns to battle for the featherweight belt at UFC 314 on April 12, however he’s not dealing with Topuria. As a substitute, Volkanovski takes on Diego Lopes for a vacant title, with Topuria transferring as much as light-weight for a possible battle with Islam Makhachev. Although it’s not but recognized if Topuria will instantly get a crack at Makhachev, Volkanovski believes it might be justified based mostly on how Topuria has dealt with the state of affairs.
“Put it this fashion, if he was making an attempt to hold on to each belts, I don’t assume that was going to occur,” Volkanovski stated on the Believe You Me podcast. “The truth that he’s vacated and the light-weight division’s able the place, I don’t know, there’s no actual clear No. 1, I feel it’s truthful. The truth that he vacated, I feel that that’s truthful.
“If he wished to hold on and do the double champ factor, I feel he wanted to do extra work, however the truth that he’s like, ‘Look, I’m going to let this one go. Let that division transfer on. I wish to decide to light-weight. I feel that’s large. I feel that’s truthful, so I feel he form of deserves it.”
Topuria is 16-0 in his profession and whereas featherweight is a division deep with potential contenders, “El Matador” believes he’s able to grow to be the UFC’s subsequent “champ-champ.” Based on UFC CEO Dana White, Topuria isn’t eager on reducing all the way down to 145 kilos anymore both.
Ought to Topuria ultimately step into the octagon with Makhachev, it might pit the No. 1 (Makhachev) and No. 2 (Topuria) Pound-for-Pound fighters in the world towards each other. They’ve a shared opponent in Volkanovski, who supplied a prediction for the battle—and the way Topuria can win.
“How do I feel that battle’s going to go?” Volkanovski stated. “I’ve fought each of them. Islam goes to be a tough man to beat, for anybody, I feel the one likelihood of him dropping is somebody knocking him out. Like, somebody touchdown one thing, that’s what I imagine. I’ve at all times believed that about myself, the one method I’d lose is somebody catching me slightly than really beating me. The one individual I imagine that may give me that shut battle is Islam and I really feel the identical for Islam with quite a lot of opposition. I feel everybody has a puncher’s likelihood and I feel that’s the one method I see him actually dropping, somebody catching him.
“And if anybody can do it, it’s Ilia. Ilia’s clearly received some harmful palms, so for folks to only depend him out, you recognize he’s received energy in his palms, you recognize he’s going to be searching for it. You realize he’s composed and even when issues aren’t going his method he’s going to maintain searching for it, hold looking for it till he does or till he loses. So you recognize he’s harmful, perhaps if the fuel tank goes, we’ll see when he begins them later rounds with somebody like Islam, however early on the primary couple or first three rounds, he’s going to be harmful. You don’t wish to be getting caught by any of these punches, so if anybody can catch him, I feel Ilia’s proper up there for an opportunity.”
