“Better for me if Topuria wins” - Undefeated UFC star breaks down Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria title fight
A rising featherweight contender has highlighted an intriguing factor about Alexander Volkanovski as the Australian prepares for the sixth defense of his featherweight title against Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 on Feb. 17. Volkanovski is undefeated in the 145-pound division and he is also the longest reigning current UFC champion.
The oddsmakers expect Volkanovski to retain the title as he is a -125 betting favorite heading into the fight. However, Movsar Evloev feels that Volkanovski’s recent knockout loss against UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev could impact his performance against Topuria.
While responding to a fan query on X about his prediction for the Volkanovski vs. Topuria fight, Evloev wrote:
“I think Volk’s got this one, but after Islam’s knockout and not enough time to fully rest, Tapuri [Topuria] has a chance. It’s better for me if Tapuri wins; we have a business to settle, and it’s the number#1 easy title fight for me.”
Volkanovski moved up a weight class to challenge Makhachev at UFC 284 in February 2023. 'The Great' gave the Dagestani fighter one of the toughest fights of his career but ultimately lost on the judges’ scorecards.
After Makhachev’s next opponent Charles Oliveira was forced out of their UFC 294 rematch due to an injury, Volkanovski stepped up on 11 days’ notice to save the day. But this time, Makhachev defeated the 35-year-old via first-round knockout to retain his title.
Volkanovski will face Topuria within four months of getting knocked out. Like Evloev, many have expressed concerns over the possible lingering effects of the knockout loss on the champion’s capacity to absorb damage.
Alexander Volkanovski is pushing his body’s limits to prepare for Ilia Topuria fight
Ilia Topuria is one of the most lethal strikers in the featherweight division. It is being speculated that defeating Topuria will cement Alexander Volkanovski’s position as the consensus greatest featherweight champion of all time.
Volkanovski is training hard to retain the title and he recently gave a UFC 298 training camp update in a video posted on his YouTube. ‘The Great’ highlighted the relentless work he has put in and said:
“I started getting headaches and everything just from tensing that hard. That happens every time, every time you go real hard on it, like just from your strain.”
Watch Alexander Volkanovski make the statement below (0:50):