"One day, I'm gonna face him" - Ilia Topuria discusses how Alexander Volkanovski has been on his radar ever since he claimed UFC title
Ilia Topuria is all set to face long-reigning featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski in the main event of UFC 298, which is set to take place on Feb. 17 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Ahead of his UFC 298 main event spot, Topuria caught up with UFC commentator Jon Anik for an interview. The pair discussed a number of subjects, from Topuria's growth as a fighter to his preparation leading into the bout with Volkanovski.
At one point, Anik asked Topuria whether he had been preparing specifically for Volkanovski for a long time, to which 'El Matador' responded:
"Since the first day he (referring to Volkanovski) became a world champion, he was always on my mind. I was always thinking of him because I always knew where my real goal was, and who was the main guy in the division. So, he was always in my mind, I was always training like one day, I'm gonna face him because the whole way I'm passing right now, kind of drives me to him."
Check out Ilia Topuria's interview with Jon Anik here (1:45 for his comments):
Topuria currently holds a professional MMA record of 14-0 and will have his first shot at UFC gold come fight night. With a win, he has the chance to make it fifteen fights undefeated and become the first Spanish fighter to claim UFC gold.
Ilia Topuria shows respect to Alexander Volkanovski but still believes he will come out on top at UFC 298
In the very same interview with Jon Anik, Ilia Topuria spoke on what he believes Alexander Volkanovksi's biggest strengths are. When asked what he thought the most difficult challenges presented by 'The Great' are, he replied (8:11):
"He kicks really well with the low kicks, he covers the distance very good. He was the best guy in the world for some time, he was pound-for-pound for some reasons, so, the guy deserves his respect. He's good."
Topuria then switched to speaking in Spanish and said:
"The strategy I bring to the fight, he won't be able to solve. A lot of fighters are punching hard or grappling hard, but not a lot of them have a strategy. No one comes in with the strategy I have. That's what separates me from the rest of the fighters."