Volkanovski vs Topuria: A Showdown in the Making
In a highly anticipated fight, Alexander Volkanovski is gearing up to face Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 on February 17. This bout will see Volkanovski defending his title for the sixth time, a testament to his dominance and prowess inside the octagon.
Volkanovski's Title Defense
Volkanovski's most recent title defense was an impressive third-round TKO victory over Yair Rodriguez. However, the road to UFC 298 hasn't been without its bumps. The fight with Topuria was initially scheduled for January but had to be postponed due to concussion protocols following Volkanovski's knockout loss to Islam Makhachev.
Volkanovski stepped up on short notice to face Makhachev at UFC 294 after Charles Oliveira withdrew due to injury. Makhachev's head-kick knockout win marked the first time Volkanovski has been stopped since his fourth pro fight in 2013. Despite this setback, Volkanovski remains confident about his upcoming fight with Topuria.
"He's a powerful dude, he's good everywhere. He's not one-dimensional, he's obviously very well-rounded," said Volkanovski about his opponent. "I just believe my skills and my understanding of the game is just gonna be that little bit too much for him."
Topuria's Winning Streak
On the other side of the octagon, Ilia Topuria is also preparing for the upcoming showdown. Having won all six of his UFC appearances, four of which ended inside the distance, Topuria is a formidable opponent. His latest achievement was a dominant victory against Josh Emmett at UFC on ABC 5 last June, securing him the No. 5 position in the UFC featherweight rankings.
Anticipating a First-Round Finish
Both fighters are predicting a first-round finish for the upcoming UFC 298 headliner, setting high expectations for what promises to be an explosive fight. However, the city and venue for the showdown are yet to be confirmed.
Recovering and Preparing for the Fight
Reflecting on the delay due to concussion protocols, Volkanovski expressed his gratitude for his support team and their expertise in managing such situations. "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,” he said.
"I think the timing will be perfect. I'll be back in there soon, but not too soon," added Volkanovski, hinting at his readiness for the upcoming fight.
Diego Lopes, commenting on Volkanovski's loss to Makhachev, showed respect for Volkanovski's decision to take 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."
As the countdown to UFC 298 begins, fans and pundits alike eagerly anticipate a thrilling contest between these two top-tier fighters.