"He will be embarrassed" - Alexander Volkanovski promises to teach Ilia Topuria "lesson" at UFC 298
Alexander Volkanovski is set to defend his featherweight title for the sixth time against Ilia Topuria in the main event of UFC 298.
Volkanovski is still unbeaten at 145 pounds, with a perfect promotional record of 13-0 in the weight class. However, 'The Great' has lost two of his last three fights, including a first-round knockout loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 in October last year.
In a recent interview with Megan Anderson on ESPN MMA, Volkanovski discussed his desire to humble Topuria in their upcoming fight. He said:
''My goal for this one isn't just winning. I want to go out there, I want to embarrass this bloke. It's not that I'm trying to embarrass him but what I plan on doing, going out there, I want him to realize that there is levels. I want him to be like, 'Oh wow, I'm nowhere near this level.'''
Volkanovski added:
''The polite way of saying it, I'm just going to teach him a lesson but he will be embarrassed.''
Catch Alexander Volkanovski's comments below (8.42):
Meanwhile, Topuria has won every one of his six UFC fights to date, earning three straight performance bonuses that set him up for his first chance at a UFC title. 'El Matador' is coming off wins over Josh Emmett and Bryce Mitchell, and boasts a perfect 14-0 record.
Ilia Topuria claims he will ''dominate'' Alexander Volkanovski - "I'm going to make him look like a punching bag"
Ilia Topuria is brimming with confidence ahead of his fight against Alexander Volkanovski. He plans on dethroning the UFC featherweight champion at UFC 298.
The undefeated challenger, known for his powerful striking and aggressive style, expects a dominating performance against Volkanovski.
During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, the No.3-ranked featherweight claimed that it would be an easy fight. He said:
"He's saying a lot of bulls**t. 'There is levels. I have this and I have that'. Yes, you're right. There are levels. There are levels then there is me. I'm going to show him where the levels are. I'm going to dominate him everywhere. I'm going to make him look like a punching bag. You will see. I will be dancing February 17th."
Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below: