UFC featherweight Ilia Topuria made a serious case for a title shot at UFC Jacksonville this past weekend. Topuria demolished elite featherweight Josh Emmett in the main event, and appeared at the post-fight press conference to stake his claim to the 145-pound title.
The reigning featherweight champion, Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski, is set to defend his title against the interim champ, Yair Rodriguez, at UFC 290 on July 8. Does that leave the champion too busy to entertain another contender?
UFC: Ilia Topuria Promises to KO Volkanovski
“Busy, not busy, I don’t know if [Volkanovski is] busy. I’m the next guy in the line, I can wait. One of the best skills I have is patience. If they offer me to fight with Max Holloway in Spain, let’s do it. If not, I’m going to wait for my title shot.”
Max Holloway, the only active former featherweight champ on the roster, has long been a fan favorite among the elite 145-pounders. Holloway represents a dream matchup for many rising fighters, not least because a victory – or even a strong performance – against him could make a serious case for a title shot.
Topuria has made no secret that he plans to capture UFC gold. “One of the dreams I had was to become a UFC world champion and to bring the UFC to Spain. It’s going to be something huge for me to make my dreams reality, because that’s one of the dreams I had and I have.”
To do so, he’ll have to get past one of the most formidable opponents in the sport. Alexander Volkanovski, until Jon Jones took the spot, was the no.1 ranked pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. He has never tasted defeat at 145 pounds, and his only loss in the UFC was a razor-close decision when he tried to dethrone lightweight champ Islam Makhachev.
None of that phases Ilia Topuria. Topuria expects either to finish Volkanovski early on, or dominate him for five rounds.
“I showed it tonight. No one can match my level of skill inside the cage. I think everyone agrees with me. I know that I can finish anyone in this division. Josh was tough tonight, but I beat him pretty easy and it’s not going to be different with Alex.
The result is going to be the same. I’m going to knock him out in the first round, second round. If not, I’m going to dominate him for five rounds, no problem.”
