“Will he be fine again?” Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier worry about Alexander Volkanovski fighting ‘monster’ Ilia Topuria after headkick KO loss

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria goes down at UFC 298 in February 2024. The matchup is among the most anticipated ones in the UFC since the champion Volk was returning after a brutal knockout. He lost his previous fight to Islam Makhachev in UFC 294. As such, Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier worried about Volkanovski’s quick turnaround.

Daniel Cormier and Joe Rogan discussed the return of Alexander Volkanovski in their recent JRE Podcast episode. As such, they expressed concern for the featherweight champion as he returned quickly from a vicious knockout. Further, they mentioned Ilia Topuria being a dangerous fighter and called him a ‘monster.’ Here is what DC said:

Now, he's fighting against Ilia Topuria very quickly. I wonder would Alex Volkanovski have any lingering effects from that knockout. Because, when we see him, we're all like raving he's the best. Is it as simple as him just going back down to 45 and he'll be fine again? Becasue, Topuria is a monster.

Daniel Cormier via JRE Podcast

Later in the interview, Joe Rogan added that Alexander Volkanovksi shouldn’t have taken the Topuria fight if he felt compromised. ‘The Great’ took his fight against Islam Makhachev on an 11-day notice and subsequently lost the bout in the very first round. Also, Volkanovski revealed about struggling with mental issues when not fighting in the post-fight press conference. As such, here’s Joe Rogan’s take on it:

You don't take that rematch, in my opinion on a 10-days' notice...Even if he wasn't compromised, even if he didn't fight Islam (Makhachev) Topuria is a nightmare. He's a nightmare, he's scary.

Joe Rogan via JRE Podcast

Ilia Topuria was undefeated in his MMA career and was coming off a dominant win over Josh Emmett. As such, Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier held him in high regard. So, their concern for Alexander Volkanovski was well understood. However, ‘The Great’ looked confident about his decision and vowed to put on a dominating performance in UFC 298.

Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier condemn Alexander Volkanovski for accepting Islam Makhacehv’s fight on short notice

Alexander Volkanovski fought Islam Makhachev in UFC 294. He took the fight on an 11-day notice. Since ‘The Great’ and Makhachev had history earlier, this garnered a lot of hype for UFC 294. But, in hindsight, Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier criticized Volkanovski’s decision to accept the short-notice fight. Islam Makhachev won the fight via knockout in the very first round.

In the recent JRE episode, Joe Rogan, alongside Daniel Cormier, criticized Alexander Volkanovksi for fighting Islam Makhachev on short notice. He said athletes needed a full camp to prepare for their fights properly. Here is what Rogan said:

You almost beat him (Islam Makhachev) in the first fight. However, you had a full camp. How much are you better with a full camp? You're better. Everyone's better. No one's better with no camp. So, it's depended upon how hard you were training. I can fu****g do it is not a good strategy against the best pound for pound fighter in the world.

Joe Rogan (via JRE Podcast)

However, it was all done and dusted for Alexander Volkanovski as he completely focused on his upcoming fight against Ilia Topuria. This time, he puts his featherweight title on the line in UFC 298. As such, he hoped to come out victorious and turn the tables after getting knocked out in his previous fight.

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