"Horizon is very monetarily sound" - UFC analyst weighs in on lightweight move for Alexander Volkanovski if he dominates Ilia Topuria at UFC 298
Alexander Volkanovski's upcoming clash with Ilia Topuria, set to headline UFC 298 on Feb. 17, could be his last bout at featherweight, according to Jon Anik.
The UFC play-by-play commentator believes there are a plethora of exciting matchups awaiting 'The Great' at lightweight, should he decide to move northwards following this weekend's pay-per-view.
Volkanovski is undefeated at 145 pounds throughout his career, and his last three defenses, against Max Holloway, Chan Sung Jung and Yair Rodriguez, have all been one-sided beatings.
During a recent interview with MMAFightingonSBN, the UFC commentator said this:
"I think because he's throwing those comments out into the universe, even before the fight, it stands to reason that if he can beat Ilia Topuria, just given the way a lot of people talk about this title defense and how hard it's gonna be, I think this would be a nice capstone on his featherweight career."
Anik continued:
"Back to the prize-fighting theme. Think about all the big fights that there are for Alexander Volkanovski at 155 pounds. You could do worse than throwing him in a BMF setting. Certainly a fight against Justin Gaethje has some appeal. I think the horizon is very monetarily sound for Volk, no matter what division he decides to compete in."
Watch Jon Anik's interview below from 12:30:
Alexander Volkanovski wants to teach Ilia Topuria a lesson at UFC 298
UFC 298 will play host to a number of exciting matchups, capped off by an explosive main event featuring Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria.
'El Matador' has expressed his belief that his upcoming title clash will be the easiest fight of his career thus far. His confidence has surprised the collective MMA community, with 'The Great' proving himself to be one of the sport's greatest fighters.
In the wake of Topuria's comments, the featherweight champion has expressed his desire to "embarrass" his opponent. During a recent interview with ESPN MMA, he said this:
"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.'"
Watch Alexander Volkanovski's interview below from 8:40: