"He's got every skillset Alex does" - Robert Whittaker breaks down Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria
Former UFC middleweight king Robert Whittaker has weighed in on the upcoming fight between Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria.
The featherweight matchup is all set to take place on Feb. 17 and will serve as the headliner on the UFC 298 card at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Ahead of the event, 'The Reaper' sat down for a chat with Megan Anderson on The Megan Anderson Show, and broke down the upcoming featherweight title bout.
'The Reaper' said Topuria might prove to be Volkanovski's toughest challenge to date. Whittaker stated that 'El Matador' matched up well with the reigning champion in all departments, and that Volkanovski's recent KO loss at the hands of Islam Makhachev may play a factor in the bout. He said:
"I do think Alex is that good but I do also think that Topuria is going to be his hardest test. Topuria is young, hungry, he's got every skill set Alex does... Maybe Alex coming off the last loss gives Topuria the edge he needs to just inch it over. It's hard to say but it's gonna be a hard fight."
Check out his comments on Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria from the 7:52 mark below:
Volkanovski's last UFC outing took place in October 2023, when he locked horns against Islam Makhachev in a rematch at UFC 294. The night did not go well for 'The Great' as he suffered a knockout loss in the opening round of the fight.
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria: 'The Great' makes his prediction for the upcoming clash
Several MMA fighters and fans have made their picks on how they think Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria will play out. The reigning featherweight champion himself has also gone on record to share his prediction for the UFC 298 main event.
Volkanovski recently caught up with Michael Bisping on the latter's YouTube channel, and said that he was confident of finishing the fight inside the distance. He said:
"I believe I can get the finish on this guy. He's gonna bring it. He's gonna come forward and he's gonna 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."
Catch Alexander Volkanovski's comments below (37:15):