(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for new champ Ilia Topuria after UFC 298 title win?)
The longest current title reign among UFC champions came to a brutal end Saturday when [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] lost his featherweight belt to Ilia Topuria in the UFC 298 main event.
After racking up five consecutive title defenses, Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) was unable to get past the hurdle that was rising unbeaten contender Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), who knocked him out in the second round of their fight at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
With the result, Volkanovski has not only dropped consecutive fights for the first time in his career, but both of them – including his short-notice defeat to Islam Makhachev in their UFC 294 rematch in October – came by way of a rather vicious knockout.
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At 35, there now are serious questions about what the future holds for “The Great,” who asked for a rematch with Topuria.
What should be next for Volkanovski? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his future after UFC 298.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.