UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski plans on showing Ilia Topuria that ‘there are levels to this’ when the two meet on February 17th.
Volk will face the surging Georgian in the headline bout of UFC 298, set for the Honda Center, California, which will see Robert Whittaker compete against Paulo Costa in the co-main event.
Sitting alongside Whittaker and Justin Tafa, the champion faced questions from MMA media and fans in Sydney, ahead of the card. When asked about what he made of his next title challenger, Volk admitted that Topuria carries a threat but believes he will hand Topuria his first defeat, and teach him some lessons in the process. He said:
“There’s things you need to be careful with him, but at the same time I make sure people fight my fight and that's what I plan on doing. I plan on going out there and showing him that there’s levels, you know. He thinks he’s the best, he’s going to be showing that there are levels to this.
“Then maybe, as I have been saying in a couple of interviews and that, you’ve got to earn your stripes. He hasn’t been there and he thinks he’s the man, he thinks he’s (at) the top of the division already and he hasn’t even faced anyone right up there, but I think if he ever gets to that point where he’s going to be a champion, or a great champion, he needs me to do what I plan on doing to him.
“I am going to give him a good humbling, maybe he can bounce back after that and learn a thing or two and then we will see what happens from there but he’s going to be shown a good lesson, a good humbling so I can’t wait to do that.”
Since signing with the promotion in 2020, Topuria has risen quickly through the ranks, finding himself in the title picture in just his seventh fight with the UFC. On his way to the title shot ‘El Matador’ has shown himself to be an extremely well rounded mixed martial artist, collecting knockout, submission and dominant decision wins.
The Featherweight champion will look to get himself back in the win column following a short notice fight against Islam Makhachev at UFC 294. Since winning the belt at UFC 245, Volkanovski has looked unstoppable at 145lbs.
The bout will be the champion’s 6th title defence as he looks to solidify himself as one of the greatest to ever compete in the sport.
