“Rehearsing old Conor quotes” – Ilia Topuria’s ‘ICE COLD’ response to potential rematch if Alexander Volkanovski loses at UFC 298 sends fans into a frenzy
Once and for all, Ilia Topuria plans to ‘dominate’ Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298, with no second chances.
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Ilia Topuria banks on other sources to mock Alexander Volkanovski, ahead of UFC 298 (Source: Twitter/bloodyelbow.com)
Ilia Topuria has more than earned his label of a ‘cocky’ challenger for the 145lbs title gold. With back-to-back victories over Bryce Mitchell and Josh Emmett, the title contender is in the best of shapes. He goes on to face Alexander Volkanovski, the reigning featherweight champ, at UFC 298. In the lead-up, Topuria has issued scary ultimatums to the champion, forewarning him of the ‘era of Topuria‘.
He faces Volkanovski in the Feb. 17 headliner at Honda Center (Anaheim, Calif). To see it through, he has already been engaging in invective jeers with Volkanovski, insulting his skills elsewhere. Despite the Aussie’s 5 title defenses, he had even prompted that Volkanovski would be one of the easiest fights of his career. Speaking with The MMA Hour’s Ariel Helwani though, he one-upped his game. On speaking if the champ would get an immediate rematch from him, he said –
The way I'm gonna beat him, they [UFC] don't even gonna ask me about a rematch...yea!Ilia Topuria via The MMA Hour
The self-assured proposition rocked even the like of Helwani momentarily; a top journo of the sport. Brimming with confidence, the Spanish featherweight’s barb on Yair Rodriguez’s downplaying his resume had already gone viral. In the same segment, in an interview with ‘KOlmenero‘, Topuria has even asserted on knocking out Conor McGregor in any weight class. However, the latest discourse has not sat well within the fight bubble.
A prime reaction on X retorted – “He is rehearsing old Conor quotes before his Aldo fight“. This is an inference to the Dubliner’s title fight with Jose Aldo at UFC 194. Conor McGregor boasts some of the best quotable one-liners in the UFC/MMA history; fans haven’t acclimated well to Ilia Topuria banking on it.
Fight fans react to Ilia Topuria’s stone-cold prediction for rival Alexander Volkanovski’s fate
Alexander Volkanovski returns to the Octagon at UFC 298. His back-to-back skids to undefeated lightweight king Islam Makhachev, at UFC 294 and UFC 284 have garnered much fan empathy. Despite the losing affair, the fighter accepting the short notice bout and giving it his all won over many fans.
The Georgian BJJ practitioner, Ilia Topuria on the other hand, is gunning for the fan-favorite’s gold at UFC 298’s headliner. ‘The Great’ and his ‘more motivated than ever’ training montage for title defense has already instilled high hopes amongst fans.
Topuria’s unfiltered and cocky aspirations have, however, been taken with a pinch of dejection. The Spaniard recently foretold a cold tale in his sitdown with MMA coverage journo Ariel Helwani. And here’s how some fans have reacted to it –
To-and-from banters and heated insults are always a given. Even Volkanovski himself proclaimed himself the king of the division, darting at Topuria’s ‘0’ in his stats. However, Topuria’s disses have earned their own set of fan snipes.
Despite a decision win at UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Topuria (UFC on ABC 5), the Spaniard wasn’t able to finish the opponent. Hence, fans have gibed at his chances at doing so to the seasoned champion. Concurrently, many have accordingly scoffed at him prematurely on probably not being able to back up his predictions.
Only time will tell if said predictions do actually fall in place, in his favor.
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Ajinkya Aswale
(1115 Articles Published)