Ilia Topuria reveals game plan that led to Alexander Volkanovski finish at UFC 298
Ilia Topuria was able to dethrone Alexander Volkanovski and capture the featherweight title with a second-round knockout at UFC 298. 'El Matador' recently revealed his game plan that led to him handing 'The Great' the first featherweight loss of his mixed martial arts career.
Speaking to Kristina Avsarkisova of Europop, the featherweight champion stated:
"It was precisely that - long combinations. We've noticed that Volkanovski moves a lot around the octagon, but we also knew that, at some point, he would stop and exchange with me. I mean, you're not going to run around forever. You move for a bit, then stop to attempt a combination."
Topuria continued:
"We knew this was coming so we stuck to long combinations because once you slip or block the first one or two punches, it's a natural instinct to stop and lower your hands. You rarely expect the third, fourth or fifth punch thinking that the attack is over hands go down, yet the punches keep coming. I had to grab that opportunity. I was waiting for Alex to stop and exchange punches and I knew that would be the time when the KO would come. This is why I was very calm and patient."
Check out Ilia Topuria's comments on his game plan against Alexander Volkanovski below:
Topuria capitalized on his game plan in the second round, with a flurry of punches that ended Volkanovski's four-year reign atop the featherweight division. While 'El Matador' had faced plenty of backlash for his public confidence leading up to the fight, he was able to back his words up with a spectacular finish that earned him Performance of the Night honors.
Ilia Topuria reveals why he wants to face Conor McGregor next
After capturing the featherweight title, Ilia Topuria has expressed an interest in his next opponent being Conor McGregor. During his recent interview with Kristina Avsarkisova of Europop, 'El Matador' opened up on why such a bout interests him when asked who he would like to face next, responding:
"If it was up to me, if I could, say, send a letter to Santa Claus, it would probably be Conor McGregor. Simply because he represents the first big wave of European MMA and it's time for us to move on to the next generation. Conor fulfilled his role. He came and took the sport to a new level. It's time for the old guard to be replaced by the new generation."
Check out Ilia Topuria's comments on facing Conor McGregor next below (starting at the 6:35 mark):
While he is interested in facing McGregor, that did not stop Topuria from praising the former double champ. 'El Matador' labeled 'The Notorious' as one of his three greatest mixed martial artists of all-time, along with Jon Jones and Khabib Nurmagomedov, noting how each helped grow the sport.