Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway, separately, were cordial with Alexander Volkanovski when they crossed paths at the UFC 308 host hotel.
It looks like almost the entire UFC featherweight title picture is in Abu Dhabi, and it was just a matter of time until paths were crossed during UFC 308 fight week.
Champion [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] and former champ [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] clash this Saturday in the main event of UFC 308 in a highly anticipated bout. And keeping a close eye on the result is former champ [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag], who’s angling for a shot to reclaim his title.
On Tuesday, both Topuria and Holloway, separately, crossed paths with their former and potentially again future rival, Volkanovski, at the host hotel. It was all respect between them despite the history and potential implications.
You can watch videos of their cordial interactions below:
It’s all respect between Ilia Topuria and Alexander Volkanovski 🤝
Check out these photos highlighting Alexander Volkanovski’s career through the years.
Check out these photos highlighting [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]’s career through the years.
ARLINGTON, TX – DECEMBER 11: Jason Pierre-Paul #90 of the New York Giants celebrates a 37-34 win after Dan Bailey #5 of the Dallas Cowboys missed the game tying field goal in the final seconds of the game at Cowboys Stadium on December 11, 2011 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – JANUARY 08: Hakeem Nicks #88 of the New York Giants scores on a 72-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter against the Atlanta Falcons during their NFC Wild Card Playoff game at MetLife Stadium on January 8, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
Apr 6, 2019; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Charles Barkley reacts in the second half in the semifinals of the 2019 men’s Final Four between the Virginia Cavaliers and Auburn Tigers at US Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-400700 ORIG FILE ID: 20190406_jla_lb9_091.jpg
Alexander Volkanovski would love a title fight at UFC 312 in Australia.
[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] would love a title fight at UFC 312 in Australia.
The UFC returns to Sydney on Feb. 8 for a pay-per-view event at Qudos Bank Arena, and Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) is hoping for an opportunity to reclaim the featherweight belt on home soil.
Champion Ilia Topuria defends his title against Max Holloway in the UFC 308 main event on Oct. 26. Volkanovski says he’s been promised the winner, but if the champion can’t make a relatively quick turnaround for UFC 312, he’s open to facing Diego Lopes for the interim title if that’s on the table.
“Anything with gold in it, I’ll be happy,” Volkanovski said during a media day in Sydney (h/t Submission Radio). “That will just lock me in for whoever wins that anyway. So, even if it’s the interim, that’s still a big one. I’d say it’d be an exciting one with Lopes I’d say, if that was going to happen, if not it’s Max or Ilia.”
Volkanovski plans on being in attendance for Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) vs. Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
“Of course – that’s the best way to build up your next fight,” Volkanovski told Submission Radio. “Especially when you’re pretty much guaranteed. There’s only very little things that could get in the way. I doubt that happens, so get me in there, let’s amp it up and call the date here in February, as well.”
If Holloway dethrones Topuria, Volkanovski will be looking at a title fight with a man he’s already defeated three times. But despite being up big on Holloway, Volkanovski is confident a fourth fight would sell.
“I’m in a position now where I want to fight in Sydney, and I want fights that excite me,” Volkanovski said. “Fighting for a belt excites me. Find some contender for just for a contender fight? Not exciting. What excites you? Money, big fights and gold.
“So if he’s wearing the gold, cool. He’s done an incredible job, obviously, in his last fight, so right now, he’s in an incredible position. Yeah, it’d be a big fight. Even though we’ve already had three fights, I feel like the fourth fight will even be bigger, which is a blowout. You would never have thought that a year ago.”
All Alexander Volkanovski knows is that his next fight will be for the featherweight title.
All [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] knows is that his next fight will be for the featherweight title.
Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) awaits the winner of the title fight between champion Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway, which headlines UFC 308 Oct. 26 in Abu Dhabi.
[autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag] (26-6 MMA, 5-1 UFC) battered Brian Ortega Saturday at UFC 306, and called for a title shot. With Lopes also vying for the No. 1 contender spot, Volkanovski is willing to fight him – only if it’s for the interim title.
“Lopes – massive win. Both two top dudes. I like both of them, so whoever was going to win, I was going to be happy for,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel. “Lopes is right up there now. I’m guessing he’ll be ranked (No.) 3.
“Obviously, my next fight is for the title, depending on what happens. Are there injuries in the Max and Ilia fight? Who knows what’s going to happen. Could there be an interim with someone like Lopes? You never know, so we’ll see what happens.”
Volkanovski clarifies that he’s only entertaining an interim title fight with Lopes if the winner of Topuria and Holloway isn’t available to turn around and fight him at a reasonable timeline.
“My next fight is for the title,” Volkanovski said. “But if they can’t do that soon enough, say if Max wins, is he going to go to lightweight and do BMF? Is there going to be an interim fight? I haven’t had them proper discussions, so I’ll get back to the UFC and have a proper chat with them. All I know is that my next fight is for the title.”
[lawrence-related id=2767833,2767070,2766885]
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 306.
Alexander Volkanovski thinks the only way Merab Dvalishvili will lose to Sean O’Malley is by getting caught.
[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] thinks the only way [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] loses to UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] is by getting caught.
Dvalishvili (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) challenges O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 306 (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) main event at Sphere in Las Vegas.
Volkanovski thinks Dvalishvili’s relentless pace and durability will help him overcome O’Malley’s precision and power.
“Is he (Dvalishvili) going to be open to being hit? Yes, I believe so,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel. “I think Sean O’Malley’s eye is incredible. His movements are going to make it a little bit hard, but his relentless takedown pressure, or his pressure on takedowns, I think he’s going to eventually get it unless he gets knocked out.
“I don’t care how good your footwork is, you’re not going to keep Merab away from you unless you put his lights out. That’s the only way that you don’t get taken down.”
Volkanovski sees a bit of himself in Dvalishvili. Volkanovski is coming off a knockout loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298, but doesn’t see himself ever in a situation where he’d get outclassed throughout a fight. He won Round 1 against Topuria on all three judges’ scorecards before getting caught in Round 2.
“It’s always hard for me to bet against guys like Merab,” Volkanovski said. “I believe he’s like myself and quite a few fighters out there that are just never die attitude, never give up, they’re just constantly there and just grinding, and grinding, and it’s just too much for people.
“Someone like Merab, the only way I see him losing is getting knocked out and that’s how I’ve always seen myself. …Guys like Merab are hard to bet against, but Sean O’Malley’s eye is so good though. I think I’m going to have to go with Merab.”
Chael Sonnen believes Alexander Volkanovski risks tainting his legacy if he competes for the UFC featherweight title next.
[autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] risks harming his legacy if he competes for the UFC featherweight title next.
Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) lost the belt at 145 pounds to Ilia Topuria by knockout at UFC 298 in February – his second straight knockout loss. Volkanovski initially entertained the idea of taking a fight at lightweight next but has opted to wait for the winner of Topuria vs. Max Holloway, which headlines UFC 308 on Oct. 26.
Sonnen disagrees and thinks if Volkanovski fights Charles Oliveira, for example, at lightweight, he has nothing to lose. But if he fails to regain his featherweight title, it will set him back in a big way.
“Volk still wants to come back. Where do we want to put him?” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “I certainly wouldn’t disrespect him, and I don’t believe the UFC would. If he came in and said, ‘I’m a title shot guy, that’s it,’ I believe they would say OK. But he doesn’t want to fight anybody specific. … He just wants the title back. That is a different motivation. I won’t question it. I’m speaking for me, as a fan. I would rather a match, a specific match. You want to know what I want for Volk? I want him at ’55, and I don’t want to talk about titles right now.
“I want to see an awesome match. I want to see Volk and Charles Oliveira at 155 pounds. I also think outcome-wise, I think you land in a higher spot whether you beat Charles or you don’t beat Charles. You go into a championship spot and you get beat, that will never return. That hope and dream is gone forever – forever. There’s not a 36-year-old that is even returning to be given the opportunity. It’s to the point where unless you want to be a gatekeeper of some regard, here’s your walking papers. It would be that severe in a title fight. That would not be the case at 155 vs. Charles.”
Volkanovski’s first fight at lightweight in the octagon was against champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 284. Volkanovski pushed Makhachev to the brink, but ultimately fell short in a close decision loss. He ran things back with Makhachev on short notice at UFC 294, suffering a Round 1 knockout loss.
After speaking with the UFC, Alexander Volkanovski will simply await the winner of Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway at UFC 308.
[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] is going to await the winner of [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag].
Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) defended his featherweight title five times before getting dethroned by Topuria at UFC 298. He is coming off back-to-back knockout losses to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and Topuria.
“I told them I wanted a break, as I’ve been having, so I wanted to fight probably later in the year, and they said they might be doing that (Topuria vs. Holloway), and I thought it would have been a little bit earlier, but it ended up being a date where I was like, I could’ve maybe come back here,” Volkanovski told Sky Sports New Zealand.
“Everything is probably getting pushed back a couple of months further than I probably would’ve liked, but at the same time, I can’t be active and just fight anybody, or I can wait for the title. What gets me out of bed, just a contender at featherweight is probably going to be hard.”
Volkanovski floated the idea of taking a fight at lightweight while Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) defends his title against Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) Oct. 26 in the UFC 308 headliner in Abu Dhabi, but he’s now changed his mind. “The Great” says the UFC is on board with him getting a title fight in his return and doesn’t want to risk losing his shot.
“Yeah, for sure (you can expect me to fight the winner of that fight). That’s exactly what’s happening,” Volkanovski said. “I can wait, or if I don’t want to wait, I can do something else. Or just wait, and the UFC has made it clear, and obviously that’s probably what I’m going to do.
“I could’ve maybe done a lightweight fight. I think there’s a lot of exciting fights there, but the UFC aren’t big fans of floating (between weights). They go, ‘Look, you want to go to lightweight, you’re going to have to stay there,’ and then I might lose that featherweight title shot. It’s only a couple of months. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
Ilia Topuria thinks it would be a bad career move for Alexander Volkanovski to take the backup role at UFC 308.
[autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] doesn’t think it’s a good idea for [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] to offer his services as the backup fighter for the UFC 308 main event.
After Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) claimed the featherweight title with a second-round knockout at UFC 298 in February, Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) has made it clear he’s coming to get the belt back in any way he can. He’s taken some time off from competition after being stopped by Topuria and Islam Makhachev just four months prior.
In the meantime, the promotion set up a championship bout between Topuria and Max Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) for the Oct. 26 headliner at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. Volkanovski is struggling to resist the urge to get back in the octagon and recently revealed he will travel to witness the matchup in person, and would be willing to be the official backup.
“I reckon I’ll be there, you know what I mean?” Volkanovski said during a fan Q&A earlier this month in Australia. “I’m usually hanging around and pestering my managers and the matchmakers. I’m always hanging around. You can’t get rid of me. I’ll be there.”
Topuria said it would ultimately be the UFC’s call as to whether Volkanovski is given the backup designation. But in his opinion, it would be smarter to stick to the plan of taking a break. Topuria thinks Volkanovski truly does need that recovery time.
“Listen, I don’t know (if that’s a good idea),” Topuria said. “He wants to get knocked out every year. Twice, maybe someone has to give him good advice. He needs some rest. I’m telling you, he needs some rest. His head at least.”
If Topuria emerged victorious from UFC 308, a rematch with Volkanovski is seemingly the most logical move for the division. That’s what Volkanovski said he is expecting. However, he doesn’t think Topuria is the man he’ll be running things back with.
Volkanovski is predicting Holloway to take the strap at UFC 308, and that would set up an ultra-rare situation where Volkanovski is 3-0 in head-to-head matchups with “Blessed,” but would enter the fourth meeting as the challenger.
“Max has obviously proven himself time and time again. I think he’s going to be a hard man to beat,” Volkanovski said. “We want the winner of that fight. If I had to pick it, probably is (Holloway), so I think we might have to go a damn fourth time. So we’ll see how that goes. BMF is going to be on the line this time, too, so that’s going to keep things interesting.”
Topuria is unsurprisingly dismissive of Volkanovski’s analysis and has boldly predicted the belt will be staying with him after he becomes the first to knock out Holloway.
If, for any reason, the Hawaiian can’t make it to fight night, though, and Volkanovski is tabbed as the backup or replacement, then Topuria said he won’t hesitate to accept the switch.
“My business and my job is to fight, no matter who is in front of me,” Topuria said. “I’m the world champion. I had my preferences before that I wanted to fight people who was next to me in the rankings, to get my chance to fight for the title as soon as possible. But now, when I’m the world champion, I don’t care. Give me a name. Give me a place. I’m going to give you a masterpiece of mixed martial arts.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.
Alexander Volkanovski predicts an emphatic performance from Israel Adesanya at UFC 305.
[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] predicts an emphatic performance from [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] at UFC 305.
Adesanya (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) challenges middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in Saturday’s main event (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
Adesanya will look to become a three-time UFC middleweight champion. After five title defenses in his first reign, “The Stylebender” lost his title to Alex Pereira at UFC 281. He was then able to avenge his loss to Pereira with arguably his greatest career-knockout at UFC 287.
However, Adesanya would then lose his belt to Sean Strickland at UFC 293, and proceeded to take a hiatus after. In the meantime, Du Plessis claimed the title from Strickland at UFC 297, setting up his grudge match with Adesanya.
“I’m expecting a performance from Israel Adesanya, like a proper performance like you’ve seen in the Paulo Costa performance where he goes out and just does it in impressive fashion – only because I think he’s always going to have them skills.,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel.
“Dricus is very awkward, very unorthodox. He’s got awkward pressure, which is very, very hard for people to deal with, and we’ve seen awkward pressure from Strickland give Izzy problems. But that doesn’t happen to Izzy twice. There’s no way that fight looks the same.”
Volkanovski sees his City Kickboxing teammate coming back with a vengeance. Adesanya has never lost two straight.
“I think Israel Adesanya is going to put on that type of performance where he gets a crazy finish, and that’s saying something because Dricus is no joke,” Volkanovski said. “Dricus is very strong, wrestler, grappler, so Izzy is going to have to be careful of Dricus trying to take him down because I reckon he’s going to have that freakish strength, and he’s got good D’Arce (chokes) and good (other) chokes as well.
“So you’re going to have to be careful. … I feel like something big is coming – I mean, a big finish. I mean highlight-reel Izzy that we’ve seen. That type of finish that we’re going to see from Izzy, which is going to be huge, which just puts him – obviously he’s always been a superstar, just puts him right back where he was not that long ago.”
On “Spinning Back Clique,” Our panel takes a look at the UFC’s featherweight division and its potentially lengthy standstill at the top.
The UFC’s featherweight division consistently has been one of its strongest.
That didn’t change when [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] beat [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] to win the title. But even though there was new blood at the top, and new blood coming up at the prospect level like [autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag], there seems to be a standstill in the division.
Volkanovski doesn’t plan on fighting again at 145 unless it’s for the belt. Topuria seems to want to wait to fight in Spain, or at the very least thinks former champ [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] earned a shot with his BMF win … at lightweight.
So how do we make sense of things in perhaps the strongest division in the UFC, but the one with so little potential for movement up top in the near future?
MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Matthew Wells and Nolan King break it down with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube or in podcast form.
