Is Ilia Topuria the Next Big Challenge for Alexander Volkanovski?

Is Ilia Topuria the next big challenge for Alexander Volkanovski? Read on to learn more about the potential matchup and Volkanovski’s thoughts on Topuria as a contender.

Alexander Volkanovski would be happy to share the Octagon with Ilia Topuria, but the Australian does think that some people may be hyping the undefeated fighter up a bit too much. "The Great" is preparing to defend his featherweight belt for a fifth time when he meets Yair Rodríguez in the main event of this weekend’s UFC 290 pay-per-view.

Volkanovski’s Title Reign

The matchup will be a unification fight for the UFC’s featherweight belts, with Rodríguez entering the night as interim featherweight titleholder after he submitted Josh Emmett at UFC 284. Volkanovski’s title reign has seen him build a strong case to be considered the greatest featherweight in the history of MMA. If the 34-year-old is able to get past "El Pantera," it will raise some questions about how many fresh challenges remain for him in the weight class.

Ilia Topuria: A Potential Contender

One fighter who’s made a strong case for a featherweight title shot is the #5-ranked Topuria. Volkanovski was asked for his thoughts on "El Matador" as a potential contender when he recently spoke to Anthony Smith and Michael Bisping. "Everyone’s hyping him up, everyone wants that fight," Volkanovski said. "He likes to talk as well which I like, so that’d be exciting. So it’s definitely something that if the UFC brought to me I’d be like, ‘Yeah sweet, no worries.’ Again, a lot of people are hyping him right up. I view him a lot different than a lot of people are, to be honest. But I mean everyone’s hyping him up, thinks he’s that good. So like, all right, sweet. I’ll show ya how good I am. ‘Cause I see a lot of holes in his game, a lot of things that I could capitalize on. So I would love that fight… If he wants this and the UFC want it and the people want it, people think he’s gonna stand a chance, I’ll show you that he doesn’t."

Conclusion

In conclusion, the upcoming fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Yair Rodríguez at UFC 290 is not only a unification fight for the featherweight belts but also an opportunity for Volkanovski to prove his dominance in the weight class. While Ilia Topuria has been hyped up as a potential contender, Volkanovski remains confident in his abilities and sees holes in Topuria’s game that he can capitalize on. If the fight between Volkanovski and Topuria does happen, it will be an exciting matchup to watch.