"I plan on doing him a favor" - Alexander Volkanovski explains why he doesn’t want early finish against Ilia Topuria at UFC 298
Whilst Ilia Topuria has predicted that he will knock Alexander Volkanovski out in the first-round of their bout, the featherweight king does not appear to be interested in a quick night at the office.
The surging title challenger holds a record of 14-0, but the confidence with which he speaks has left sections of the MMA fanbase scratching their heads. 'El Matador' has stated that he believes his first shot at UFC gold will be the among the easiest fights of his career.
He views 'The Great' as being in a uniquely-vulnerable position, after suffering a KO loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 last year. The long-reigning champion, however, is eager to show his opponent the difference in skill levels.
Having stated that he wants to "teach Topuria a lesson" during their UFC 298 clash, the Australian sent a strong message to his opponent during a recent interview with TMZ Sports.
'The Great' said:
"I can finish him early, but I don't want him thinking, 'Ah, I got unlucky here.' Uh-uh... He needs a reality check. You aren't as good as you think you are, there are levels. I'm gonna show you championship levels, you're gonna figure that out, then I'll put you away. I need you to understand this."
He continued:
"Again, you're probably a good kid. You're probably playing the game. But if you want to be a great champion one day, this is how I'm gonna do it. You'll bounce back in a positive way when my time is done. But you need this... I plan on doing him a favor."
Watch Alexander Volkanovski's interview below from 3:50:
Israel Adeasanya gives his prediction on the Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria title fight
UFC 298 is set to take place on Feb. 17, and the card will be headlined by arguably the most anticipated featherweight title since Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor, which took place at UFC 194.
Ilia Topuria holds an undefeated record of 14-0, while Alexander Volkanovski holds a career record of 16-0 at featherweight. 'The Great' dominated the division en route to winning the title in 2019, and he doesn't plan on relinquishing the belt any time soon.
Ahead of the clash, Volkanovski's teammate, Israel Adesanya, shared his prediction for the fight. 'The Last Stylebender' said:
"Alexander 'The Great' Volkanovski. I'm going to go late stoppage, round four. Yeah, round four, KO or TKO. I think he's just going to exhaust him. It's different when you're in the championship rounds but you have Alexander Volkanovski in your face."
Watch the video below from 10:30: