UFC 298: Alex Volkanovski claims Ilia Topuria has taken the easy road to a title fight

His opponent is yet to taste defeat in the UFC, but Alex Volkanovski has a message for those trying to paint the feisty Aussie as underdog in UFC 298.

Alex Volkanovski believes Ilia Topuria has been fast-tracked into a title fight on the back of his cocky trash talk and large social media following rather than for the strength of fighters he’s beaten.

The Aussie featherweight champ also says people are over-hyping up the undefeated Topuria’s boxing skills, and says ‘El Matador’ only has a “puncher’s chance”.

Volkanovski will make his sixth defence of the featherweight belt when he fights the brash Topuria at UFC 298 in Anaheim this weekend.

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While much has been made of Volkanovski’s age, the champ says people aren’t focusing on Topuria’s relatively smooth road to his title shot.

“I look at his fights and say he’s had a very easy way to the top,” Volkanovski told this masthead. “That’s just facts.

“And they’re still hyping him up anyway.

“Right now, he’s got the hype, they’re talking him up. Beautiful. It probably should annoy me, but it doesn’t. I use it as fuel, but it doesn’t annoy me.”

Volkanovski went to Brazil and toppled the King of Rio, Jose Aldo in 2019. Picture: Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images

Volkanovski was made to graft his way to his first title shot, winning fights all over Australia, Idaho, Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro.

Along the way, he beat a dangerous Darren Elkins, who was on an impressive six-fight win streak at the time.

Volk then stopped former interim featherweight title challenger Chad Mendes in two rounds, before beating ‘The King of Rio’, and former long-time featherweight champion, Jose Aldo in Rio de Janeiro.

Only then did he get his shot at champion Max Holloway.

In comparison, Topuria landed his title fight thanks to a pair of wins over Josh Emmett and Bryce Mitchell following a brief move up to lightweight in 2022.

Volkanovski knocked out Chad Mendes on his way towards a title shot. Picture: Hans Gutknecht/Digital First Media/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images

Emmett was coming off an interim title fight defeat to Yair Rodriguez when he lost a one-sided five-round decision to Topuria last June.

Mitchell, meanwhile, is a talent but has since gone 1-2, and was the victim of one of the scariest knockouts in UFC history when Emmett stopped him in the first round last December.

“He’s undefeated and has all this hype, but people who really know the game, like myself and my team, we understand a lot more,” Volkanovski said of Topuria’s rise. “We’re not just looking at a couple of stats.

“We’re not just looking at his win over Josh Emmett. I don’t care about any of that.

“I’m looking at the holes in his game, the things I can exploit and the things he could do way better.

“Look at the people I beat. Chad Mendes, Aldo, Holloway.

“But I guarantee you that people that really understand the game, they only believe he has a puncher’s chance.”

Josh Emmett (R) was worse for wear after fighting Topuria (L). Picture: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

In fairness to Topuria, he does pack one hell of a punch.

Before making the UFC, the majority of Topuria’s wins came by submission. But his reputation really took off when he put together a string of impressive knockouts in the UFC.

It’s caused many to say Topuria is the best boxer Volkanovski has ever fought, but the Aussie laughs that off.

“I don’t care if he’s the best boxer in the world. This is MMA. Do people forget what sport we’re in?” he said. “You’re telling me I only need to worry about two hands, and maybe a double leg?

The build-up to this weekend’s fight is getting spicy. Picture: Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

“I’m meant to be scared of that?

“People are like, ‘Mate, watch his boxing’, but do you remember the last guy I fought at featherweight, Yair Rodriguez? He had millions of tools and options he could throw, and from all these angles, stances and ranges.

“That’s a problem. Don’t get me wrong, this guy has a puncher’s chance, and he can hit, but he’s gotta find me first.”

Originally published as UFC 298: Alex Volkanovski claims Ilia Topuria has taken the easy road to a title fight