Ilia Topuria eyes an early finish against Alexander Volkanovski next, but will fight Max Holloway on one condition
Ilia Topuria has suggested that he'd like to fight UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski next. Topuria also addressed the possibility of fighting former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway if the Volkanovski matchup doesn't materialize.
Topuria's most recent fight transpired earlier tonight (June 24th, 2023) at the UFC Jacksonville event. The featherweight put on a dominant performance in the event's headlining matchup, defeating Josh Emmett via unanimous decision.
50-44
50-42
49-45
A clean sweep for Ilia Topuria in the main event 😮💨
#UFCJacksonville https://t.co/VaBgZuiIKf
During the UFC Jacksonville post-fight press conference, a journalist alluded to the speculation that Alexander Volkanovski could possibly move up in weight again for a rematch against UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in October. That is provided Volkanovski is able to beat interim UFC featherweight champion Yair Rodriguez in their title unification fight at UFC 290 on July 8th.
𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙈𝙋 
𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙈𝙋 
🏆 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙈𝙋 🆚 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙈𝙋 🏆
The UFC featherweight unification bout between Alex Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez is being targeted for UFC 290 on July 8 🔥
Reported by @bokamotoESPN 🤝 https://t.co/LU5cJyGtAq
Topuria, for his part, claimed that he'd likely finish Volkanovski early if they fought. Discussing a potential showdown against 'Volk,' the 26-year-old who's fresh off an impressive win, said:
"I showed it tonight that no one can match my level of skill inside the cage. I think everyone agrees with me. I know that I can finish anyone in this division. So, Josh [Emmett] was tough tonight. But I beat him pretty easy. And it's not going to be different with Alex [Volkanovski]. The rest of this is going to be the same. I'm going to knock him out in the first round, second round. If not, I'm gonna dominate him for five rounds. No problem."
Watch Ilia Topuria discuss the topic at 3:25 in the video below:
Ilia Topuria's next fight could see him face Max Holloway
Presently, former UFC featherweight kingpin Max Holloway is scheduled to fight 'The Korean Zombie' aka Chan Sung Jung, at the upcoming UFC Fight Night event on August 26th. Holloway has lost thrice to current UFC featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski. Considering that, it's believed that Holloway is still a few more wins away from another title shot.
Max Holloway will fight Chan Sung Jung at #UFCSingapore on August 26th. #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN #UFC2023 #MainEvent https://t.co/Yh27PfDkRr
During the UFC Jacksonville post-fight press conference, Ilia Topuria was asked whether he'd consider fighting Max Holloway instead of Alexander Volkanovski next, since 'Volk' could be busy with another fight. The Georgian-Spanish athlete responded by suggesting that he'd face Holloway next only if their fight takes place in Spain. Topuria stated:
"Busy no busy. I don't know if he [Volkanovski] is busy. I'm the next guy in the line. I can wait. One of the best skills I have is the patience. If they offer me to fight with Max Holloway in Spain, let's do it. If not, I'm gonna wait for my title shot. That's all."
Check out Ilia Topuria's comments regarding Holloway at 2:42 of his post-fight press conference
"I want Alex to defend that belt... I'll show him where his whole world is going to end and mine is going to start" 👊
Ilia Topuria continues his unbeaten record and has a few words for the champion at 145...
#UFCJacksonville https://t.co/nmQIi2ItCn