UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski delivered yet another masterful performance in the main event at UFC 290. Volkanovski pieced Yair Rodriguez apart, ending the fight via third-round TKO.
Most fans and fighters watching were impressed, except for one man: featherweight contender Ilia Topuria. Topuria took to The MMA Hour to claim that Volkanovski’s performance was “nothing special,” and even predicted that he would knock the champ out in a single round.
Ilia Topuria Calls UFC Featherweight Champ Alexander Volkanovski “Nothing Special”
“Nothing special. He did what he was supposed to do. He did a good job in the fight. He took him down, ground and pound. … I wasn’t impressed at all. I saw what I was supposed to see – you know, beat [Rodriguez], because I never liked Yair’s fight style.
For me, it’s going to be an easy fight [with Volkanovski]. Every time I move up in the rankings, every fight is going to be more easy for me. And why?
Because it’s more easy to have a game plan against guys who are more technical than fight with someone who’s unpredictable.”
Topuria believes that he’s next in line to challenge for Volkanovski’s featherweight title, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be the next man to fight Volkanovski. Volkanovksi has repeatedly stated his intention to capture Islam Makhachev’s lightweight belt, and wants a rematch at 155 pounds.
Either way, Alexander “The Great” wants to be as active as he can, but called Topuria “delusional.” “This stuff excites me as well.
I want to be active. Say if I can’t do the lightweight thing, I want to fight as soon as I can, even when I get this [elbow] cleaned up a little bit, I want to be straight back in there.
I don’t have full confidence in [Topuria] winning the next one, so I want to be the guy that puts the beating on him. Because he likes to talk, which is exciting, so good on him.
He’s got to be confident. There’s confidence, and then there’s delusional. I don’t mind the bloke, but even with things that he says, what he’s saying doesn’t really make sense, like, ‘I’d beat him in the first round.’ Like, do you watch me fight?
The Ilia fight? Not a challenge. I do like a challenge to hype me up.
I don’t need to pretend this is some crazy challenge to get me motivated. The way he talks, that’s motivation, that gets me excited, so that’s what I love.”
