Alexander Volkanovski, the reigning UFC featherweight champion, is gearing up for a thrilling encounter with Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 on February 17. This bout marks Volkanovski's sixth title defense, following his latest triumph, a third-round TKO victory over Yair Rodriguez.
Volkanovski's Journey to UFC 298
Despite suffering a knock-out loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 294, Volkanovski remains a formidable competitor. He had stepped in on short notice to face Makhachev after Charles Oliveira withdrew due to injury. The head-kick knockout marked the first time Volkanovski has been stopped since his fourth professional fight in 2013.
The fight against Topuria was initially slated for January but was postponed due to concussion protocols following Volkanovski's loss to Makhachev. Speaking about the delay, Volkanovski stated, "Yeah, obviously, it was scheduled for January... We want to follow all protocols and do everything right, obviously, after the last one and I'm lucky enough to have a great team around me, who've dealt with a lot of concussions in football and what-not. So I’ve got the right team around me, and we just thought that January was a little bit too soon.”
Ilia Topuria: The Rising Challenger
On the other side of the Octagon stands Ilia Topuria, an undefeated force in the UFC featherweight division. With six wins in as many appearances, four of which ended inside the distance, Topuria has quickly climbed to the No. 5 position in the rankings. His most recent victory came against Josh Emmett at UFC on ABC 5 last June, a dominant performance that secured his place as a top contender.
Anticipating a First-Round Finish
Both fighters are predicting a first-round finish for the upcoming UFC 298 headliner. Volkanovski acknowledges Topuria's skillset, stating, "He's a powerful dude, he's good everywhere. He's not one-dimensional, he's obviously very well-rounded." Despite this, Volkanovski remains confident in his own abilities: "I just believe my skills and my understanding of the game is just gonna be that little bit too much for him."
Respect Amidst Rivalry
There's an undercurrent of respect in this intense rivalry. Diego Lopes commended Volkanovski for accepting the fight against Makhachev on short notice: "All respect to him for taking the fight on ten days' notice... He wasn't prepared for this fight. But yeah, it was surprising to see how Makhachev finished him. I think we all expected Makhachev to wrestle him all the fight."
The city and venue for the UFC 298 showdown between Volkanovski and Topuria are yet to be confirmed. Regardless of the location, fans around the world eagerly anticipate a thrilling encounter between these two formidable featherweights.