"Gonna be really really tough for Volk" - MMA pros predict outcome of UFC 298 headliner between Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria
Alexander Volkanovski is gearing up to defend his featherweight title against Ilia Topuria in the main event of UFC 298. The pay-per-view event is slated to take place on Feb. 17 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
'The Great' has faced defeat in two of his last three fights, which were contested in a weight category above against Islam Makhachev, including a first-round knockout loss to the lightweight champion at UFC 294 last October.
However, Volkanovski remains undefeated in the 145-pound division, maintaining a flawless promotional record of 13-0 in the weight class where he has established his dominance.
Meanwhile, Topuria has emerged victorious in all six of his UFC bouts to date, securing three consecutive performance bonuses leading up to his first UFC title opportunity. 'El Matador' is coming off victories over ranked contenders Bryce Mitchell and Josh Emmett. He currently holds a 14-0 professional record, with eight of his wins coming via submission.
Let's take a look at the predictions from MMA community pundits for the Volkanovski vs. Topuria fight.
During a recent video on combat sports journalist James Lynch's YouTube channel, bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen shared his prediction, foreseeing a challenging matchup from Topuria but ultimately favoring Volkanovski for the win. He said:
"That's another one that's going to be really really tough for Volk. I'll lean toward Volk because of his experience, but I think its going to be a tough challenge.
Former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis expressed that Volkanovski will bounce back from his defeat against Makhachev:
"It's hard to pick against Volk. Alexander Volkanovski is looking undeniable, the last fight he took on short notice, coming off surgery, he had nothing to lose. So if you give him a full training camp, that is a hard guy to defeat."
Flyweight contender Alex Perez endorsed 'The Great' to triumph on Feb. 17:
"I got Alexander Volkanovski. I think he is super well-rounded, don't get me wrong. He did lose his last fight, he did got clipped but it's part of the game. I think at 145 [pounds] he's probably the best."
Lightweight fighter Chase Hooper believes that Volkanovski's recent knockout loss could influence the outcome of this fight:
"I wanted to say Volk but the fact that he got knocked out, I don't think it's enough time between fights, I think Topuria can definitely catch him."
Check out the full prediction video below:
Alexander Volkanovski's bold prediction for UFC 298 showdown against Ilia Topuria
During a recent interview with Michael Bisping, Alexander Volkanovski expressed confidence in his ability to secure a finish against Ilia Topuria:
"I believe I can get the finish on this guy. He's going to bring it. He's going to come forward, and he's going to want to put hands on me. Obviously, that leaves openings. I feel like I can see the finish on the feet; I can see the finish in the grappling. I'm feeling stronger than ever.
He added:
"I really feel like I'm going to be landing one of these big bombs... He's got good hands, but I believe my hands are better; I feel like I'm getting the finish. I don't know if it's going to be on the ground or on the feet. I feel like I will catch him on the feet, to be quite honest."
Check out Alexander Volkanovski's comments below (37:15):