“Punchers chance is all he got,” Featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski makes stunning PREDICTION about UFC 298 headliner against Ilia Topuria

UFC held a special press conference cum fans Q&A session for UFC 298 in Sydney. As such, Alexander Volkanovski, Robert Whittaker, and Justin Tafa attended and answered some questions. Kickstarting the event, a reporter questioned ‘The Great’ about the hype behind his opponent Ilia Topuria and what was his route to victory. Volkanovski faces Topuria in the main event of UFC 298.

In response, Alexander Volkanovski acknowledged Ilia Topuria as a dangerous opponent. However, he critiqued that Topuria hasn’t fought top-level competition. As such, he only gave ‘El Matador’ a puncher’s chance and remained unfazed about his other capabilities. Here is what he said:

He's a dangerous opponent. He probably hasn't proved himself against the top guys but it doesn't mean he is not as good as he says he is. Everyone does have a puncher's chance, but to be quite honest, that's all he's got. I'm very confident in my experience, and how calculated I'm, my fight IQ and I think that's what gets it done.

Alexander Volkanovski via The MacLife

Further, Alexander Volkanovski spoke about Ilia Topuria’s hype and claimed it would end in a couple of weeks when they clash heads. ‘El Matador’ rose to prominence in the UFC with his undefeated record and overall skillset. Also, he knew his way around the mike, voicing out his brimming confidence. As such, he predicted a first-round finish against Volkanovski.

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria headline the UFC 298 fight card in Anaheim, California. As such, this fight goes down on 17 February. In comparison, Topuria is coming off a dominant win against Josh Emmett, and Volkanovski is coming off a devastating knockout loss. However, the loss occurred in his move up to lightweight, and his undefeated record in the featherweight division remained intact.

Alexander Volkanovski speaks about his preparation for the fight against Ilia Topuria

Alexander Volkanovski puts his featherweight title on the line against the young prospect Ilia Topuria in UFC 298. Showcasing overall skillset and constant improvement, ‘El Matador’ tore through the featherweight division to earn the title shot. As such, Topuria was a force to be reckoned with. So, ‘The Great’ spoke on his ongoing preparations to defeat the Spanish fighter.

In the recent UFC Q&A session in Sydney, Alexander Volkanovski unveiled strategizing a specific game plan for Ilia Topuria with his team. However, he also focused on his skills in general to improve everywhere. Here is what he said:

Got a great team behind us, a lot of strategy behind it. Not only that, obviously sharpening my tools everywhere as well. There's things you need to be careful with but again at the same time I make people fight my fight and that's what I'm planning on doing...He's going to be shown there are levels to this.

Alexander Volkanovski (via The MacLife)

Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria went back and forth ever since their matchup was announced. Some bad blood boiled between them, and their differences would end during the fight. They get into action in UFC 298 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

In case you missed it:

• “Optically, DDP looked better,” Best non-UFC middleweight fighter downplays notion that Sean Strickland was ‘robbed’ at UFC 297
• “I respect Dana and Hunter,” Gay UFC champion defends Dana White and the UFC from media criticism of Sean Strickland’s LGBTQ remarks

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