Ilia Topuria has warned Alexander Volkanovski that he is “not ready” for what the undefeated featherweight rising star is going to bring in the pair’s main event bout at UFC 298.
Topuria, who holds a 14-0 record and wins over Josh Emmett, Bryce Mitchell, and Jai Herbert, declared he had “one of the best weight cuts” of his career ahead of Sunday.
It has the Spanish fighter primed to capture his first title, maintain the undefeated start to his MMA career and — in the process — hand Volkanovski his only defeat in the division.
UFC 298: VOLKANOVSKI VS TOPURIA | SUN 18 FEB | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the new exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View events!
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“He thinks that he’s ready. I’m telling you he’s not [ready] for what I’m going to bring tomorrow night in the cage, he is not ready for that,” Topuria told Main Event ahead of Sunday’s fight.
“He’s going to have to bounce back [from a loss] again.
“He is very good-rounded. He has a lot of great skills inside the cage. But I have more power than him. I finish my fights more than him.
“Maybe he has the experience but tomorrow you’re going to see me with a lot of experience too. I prepare myself for war and I don’t have the stamina to go for five rounds, I have the stamina to go for five days.”
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Volkanovski is coming off a first-round knockout defeat at the hands of Islam Makhachev in a lightweight title rematch, turning his attention towards continuing his dominant reign atop the featherweight division.
The Australian was clearly emotional after that fight, choking back tears while revealing mental health issues played a role in his taking the fight on just 12 days notice.
Volkanovski has had a lot more time to prepare for Sunday’s fight, which is his sixth title defence and a chance to further cement his legacy at 145 pounds against one of the divison’s most hyped rising stars.
Topuria though doesn’t seem to be overwhelmed by the occasion — in fact he has been overconfident more than anything, changing his record to 15-0 along with the tag of UFC champion on his Instagram profile.
“That’s his style,” Volkanovski said in response to Main Event.
“He wanted to go the trash-talking route and the confidence and all that. I’m fine with that. It’s perfect for this part of the story. He’s undefeated but it’s not going to end well for him.”
Volkanovski doesn’t feel “disrespected” by it all though. He understands it.
“I just think he’s playing the game,” added the champ.
“But it’s obviously a risky game to play, especially when you’re up against me.”
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While Topuria said he has the power that Volkanovski is lacking, the Australian is tipping a second or third-round finish on Sunday.
“The pressure got to him at the presser and the pressure’s going to get to him when he’s standing in front of me,” Volkanovski added.
Of course, Volkanovski is not the only Australian on the card with Robert Whittaker looking to put himself back on a path towards title contention in the middleweight division.
He faces an equally desperate Paulo Costa, who is also hoping to make the kind of statement that could catapult him to a title shot in the near future.
“He’s a powerful guy,” Whittaker said of Costa, who has 11 wins by knockout to his name.
“If I let him do what he wants he’s going to be swinging those big arms and legs around all day. That’s not what I want to day. I’m going to take the fight to him, put it on him and see how he likes that.”
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Elsewhere, the undefeated Ian Garry is aiming to continue his rapid rise as he faces No. 8 ranked welterweight contender Geoff O’Neal.
Meanwhile, Henry Cejudo admitted it is “all or nothing” as he faces No. 2 ranked bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili before eyeing a move up to 145 pounds and a title shot with the winner of Sunday’s main event.
“I told the team, ‘It’s either gold or bust.’ I either win it all, or I’m not gonna have it all, and I’m out,” Cejudo said earlier in the week.
“I am putting that timeline, that pressure on me, because I do take this sport seriously.”
There is one other Australian on Sunday’s card, although not the one that everyone was expected, with Justin Tafa’s brother Junior stepping in to replace him and fight Marcos Rogerio de Lima after an injury setback.
FULL CARD
MAIN CARD (from 2pm AEDT)
Champ – Alexander Volkanovski (26-3-0) vs. No. 3 Ilia Topuria (14-0-0) – featherweight
No. 3 Robert Whittaker (25-7-0) vs. No. 6 Paulo Costa (14-2-0) – middleweight
No. 8 Geoff Neal (15-5-0) vs. No. 10 Ian Garry (13-0-0) – welterweight
No. 2 Merab Dvalishvili (16-4-0) vs. No. 3 Henry Cejudo (16-3-0) – bantamweight
No. 14 Anthony Hernandez (11-2-0) vs. Roman Kopylov (12-2-0) – middleweight
PRELIMS (UFC Fightpass, from 12pm AEDT)
No. 3 Amanda Lemos (13-3-1) vs. No. 7 Mackenzie Dern (13-4-0) – w. strawweight
No. 15 Marcos Rogerio de Lima (21-10-1) vs. Junior Tafa (7-3-0) heavyweight
Rinya Nakamura (8-0-0) vs. Carlos Vera (11-3-0) – bantamweight
Zhang Mingyang (16-6-0) vs. Brendson Ribeiro (15-5-0) – light heavyweight
EARLY PRELIMS (UFC Fightpass, from 10am)
Josh Quinlan (6-1-0) vs. Danny Barlow (7-0-0) – welterweight
Oban Elliott (9-2-0) vs. Val Woodburn (7-1-0) – welterweight
No. 15 Andrea Lee (13-8-0) vs. Miranda Maverick (14-5-0) – w. flyweight
UFC 298: VOLKANOVSKI VS TOPURIA | SUN 18 FEB | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the new exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View events!
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