"Smells like victory" - Alexander Volkanovski responds to Ilia Topuria's rose-themed UFC 298 promo in hilarious clip
Ilia Topuria's rose-themed teaser for UFC 298 definitely caught Alexander Volkanovski's attention, and 'The Great' made sure to respond in kind with a hilarious video of his own.
Topuria leaves a rose in the octagon for each of his defeated opponents, and keeping up with the tradition, he has one marked just for UFC 298.
In the teaser, 'El Matador' can be seen watching a press conference featuring his opponent before storing a rose in a box marked 15. For context, the fight against Volkanovski will be the Georgian-Spaniard's 15th pro-MMA bout.
Watch the teaser below:
Reacting to the teaser, the Australian shared a video of himself in his rose garden on X, writing:
"Smells like victory."
Furthermore, he clapped back at his opponent in the video, saying:
"I don't know what his deal is with the roses thing. I grow my own. Got basil, grow orchids. Missus loves the orchids. [I] grow some tomatoes, you name it. I'll tell you what, [proceeds to smell a rose] smells like victory."
Catch Alexander Volkanovski's comments below:
Volkanovski vs. Topuria is set to headline UFC 298, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 17, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
The featherweight champion is 26-3 in MMA and is undefeated at 145 pounds in the promotion, with both his UFC losses coming at lightweight against the reigning champion Islam Makhachev.
The 35-year-old boasts wins against featherweight legends Max Holloway and Jose Aldo, among others.
Topuria (14-0) is undefeated in his pro-MMA career and has claimed four of his six wins in the famed octagon via finishes. He holds notable victories over the likes of Josh Emmett and Bryce Mitchell. 'El Matador' is considered one of the finest knockout artists in the division.
MMA pros predict UFC 298 main event
With the UFC 298 title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria a little over a week out, let's look at how MMA fighters see the match unfolding.
During a recent interview with MMA reporter James Lynch, bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen gave the Australian champion his nod but noted that Topuria would be a tough fight.
Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, meanwhile, said:
"It's hard to pick against Volk. Volkanovksi is looking undeniable, bro. The last fight he took was on short notice... Give him a full training champ; that's a hard guy to beat."
Catch other picks below:
Featherweight contender Chase Hooper picked the Georgian-Spaniard, claiming that the champion's quick turnaround after the KO loss to Islam Makhachev might put him at risk of another knockout loss.