Alexander Volkanovski eyes Ilia Topuria after Yair Rodriguez bout
Alexander Volkanovski is eyeing a matchup against Ilia Topuria if he is able to defeat Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290. The UFC featherweight division is currently in desperate need of contenders and Volkanovski is asking Topuria to sit and wait for a title shot.
At UFC Jacksonville, Topuria gained a ton of momentum after dismantling Josh Emmett over five rounds. Now, he is being discussed as a potential title contender. Volkanovski discussed Topuria in an episode of DC & RC with Daniel Cormier and Ryan Clark.
“I’m hearing a lot of people mentioning other guys, Ilia fighting other guys – I’m like, ‘No,’” Volkanovski said. “Don’t do it. Just give me a guy. Give me a contender. To be honest, I’m not going to say too much. I think he’s a good fighter. But the more I speak, the less I’m going to hype up the fight. I think he’s great.”
Quote via MMAJunkie
Volkanovski made it clear that he wants Topuria to sit on the sidelines and wait for a title fight. That makes sense considering the current landscape of the UFC featherweight division. Volkanovski has defeated a good portion of the division’s elite fighters including Max Holloway, Brian Ortega and Chan Sung Jung.
On top of Volkanovski’s success, Holloway has knocked off several title contenders. Holloway defeated potential title contenders Arnold Allen and Calvin Kattar which has made it harder for new contenders to emerge. Volkanoski even told Holloway to spot-fighting his contenders.
It is likely that Volkanovski wants Topuria to jump into title contention without fighting Holloway to ensure he has future opponents lined up.
A fight between Volkanovski and Topuria makes sense as well. Rodriguez earned his title opportunity off a win over Emmett and Topuria would be doing the same. Additionally, if Volkanovski defeats Rodriguez, Allen and Topuria would be the only members of the top five he has not beaten. Since Allen is coming off a loss, Topuria would be next in line.
Volkanovski also made it clear that despite wanting to fight Topuria he needs to take care of business against Rodriguez first.
“I think it’s a great fight and that would work well on some people, but won’t work well on others,” Volkanovski said. “I want (new) guys. I want to be active. I was at a stage where I was like, ‘Give me the No. 1 guy.’ We’ve sort of cleared them. Everyone’s raving on about this guy. I’ve got Yair to worry about. I’ll worry about that first, because I see him as a much bigger threat than Ilia. I’ll make sure I go out there and do my business, and if that’s on the cards – again, I want to be active.
Quote via MMAJunkie
Topuria has found himself in a sensational position. It is common for fighters to sit out while they wait for a title shot. That said, it is rare that the champion asks them to. While it is far from a guarantee, Topuria looks to be the next UFC featherweight title challenger.
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