Ilia Topuria is confident he can take down Alexander Volkanovski in their upcoming 145-pound title headliner bout at UFC 298 on February 17. According to the undefeated fighter, while “The Great” is a good striker, he lacks ground skills.
The fight already seems to favor the side of “El Matador,” with Volkanovski coming from a fresh loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 294. UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling expressed concern over this quick turnaround by the Australian, saying it could lead to an unfavorable result for Volkanovski. Topuria, nonetheless, doesn’t think this would affect Volkanovski’s performance.
“For me, what happened in his last fight doesn’t change anything,” Topuria said on the Overdogs Podcast. “I know the result will be the same, training is the same, the focus is the same. I’m going to train for the best in the world, and I’m pretty sure I’m going to get that win.”
In line with that, Topuria shared where he thinks he could attack Volkanovski once they face each other in the cage. According to the Georgian-Spanish fighter, the ground will give him the advantage in their bout.
“That’s where I really think I have the advantage with him because he’s a good striker, but he’s not a natural wrestler. Or he’s not good on the ground,” Topuria said. “That’s where I’m going to make a difference.”
Topuria, who has a record of 14-0-0, is positive about winning this fight. To support that, the fighter shared his next plan once he snatched the belt from the featherweight champ.
“So, that’s what I think is going to happen that I’m going to beat Volk on February 17, and then I’m going to fight Max Holloway here in Spain,” Topuria said. “That’s my goal right now, and I think it’s going to happen.”
Yet, Volkanovski believes that the opposite will happen, with him bringing the first loss of Topuria. Despite acknowledging the strength of the opponent, The Great thinks he has the skills that will humble the undefeated fighter.
“He’s a powerful dude, he’s good everywhere,” Volkanovski said earlier this month. “He’s not one-dimensional; he’s obviously very well-rounded. I just believe my skills and my understanding of the game is just gonna be that little bit too much for him. He’s a young, hungry dude. Undefeated, very, very confident, but I think he needs a little bit of humbling.”
