Alexander Volkanovski might really be too “old” for MMA. At UFC 298, young challenger Ilia Topuria managed to send the Australian to sleep, allowing him to snatch the gold of the featherweight division for real.
Prior to the fight, “El Matador” made repeated shots at Volkanovski’s age, calling the former champ “old” and advising him to “retire.” During a press conference, the Spanish fighter even snatched the belt on the podium, which is a reference to Conor McGregor’s past act. Interestingly, Topuria managed to take the belt away from Volkanovski in real life after defeating him at UFC 298 via KO.
The 27-year-old started the match strong and even dominated the first round, where he sent the opponent several leg kicks. The fight, nonetheless, didn’t last long when the second round started. When it opened, the Topuria aggressively showed dominance through hard hooks and a big right. The two exchanged jabs, with Topuria sending an extra big leg kick. Later, however, the round was ended with punches from Topuria, leading to Volkanovski’s KO loss.
HE IS KING 👑@TOPURIAILIA IS YOUR NEW FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD 🇪🇸🏆 🇬🇪 #UFC298 pic.twitter.com/eKRjZsP7yI
— UFC (@ufc) February 18, 2024
This win has not only extended Topuria’s winning streak but has also granted him the gold. After his victory, the fighter shared in his earlier interviews his plan to face McGregor, whose comeback remains unknown, and set aside the top contenders of his class weight. Volkanovski, however, protested the idea. Yet, the belt’s new owner and the new champ is determined to face the Irish superstar, whom he called out immediately after his latest win.