The main event of UFC 298 saw a classic tale of the undefeated, upcoming prospect against one of the top champions in the sport.
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria Preview
Alexander Volkanovski came into the fight with a 26-3 record, with two of those losses in his last three fights. The featherweight champion tested his luck not once, but twice against Islam Makhachev in a bid to become double champion. The first fight showed that both men were two of the greatest martial artists currently active, ending in a close decision victory for the lightweight champion. After that fight, Volkanovski dropped back down to 145 pounds to defend his title against interim champion Yair Rodriguez. Volkanovski proved his status as a top P4P fighter, using his wrestling and quickness to dominate the interim champion, finishing him in Round 3.
The rematch between Volkanovski and Makhachev was inevitable due to the hype following their first fight. When Charles Oliveria fell out of his rematch with Makhachev just 10 days before the fight, Volkanovski was quick to jump in and save the day. However, things went a lot differently than their first bout, as Makhachev made quick work of Volkanovski with a head kick in Round 1. Since then, Volkanovski has not slowed down or wanted time off, he wants to stay active which led him into another title defense just four months later.
Ilia Topuria came into this fight with an unblemished 14-0 record, with six of those wins coming in the UFC. ‘El Matador’ has finished 12 of those wins, with his last fight being one of just two that went to the scorecards. That performance was a brutal five-round beatdown of former interim title challenger Josh Emmett. Topuria controlled the action for 25 minutes, dropping Emmett on multiple occasions while outlanding him nearly 2-1.
Recap
Volkanovski came out with a heavy leg kick approach. Topuria landed some big right hands early that caught the attention of the champion. A leg kick by Topuria landed hard on Volkanovski, but he continued to batter the legs of Topuria until the bell.
The challenger was the aggressor to start Round 2, tracking Volk down with his back against the cage. A big two punch combination got the respect of the champion who nodded his head after eating the power shots. The champion started to let his hands go halfway through the round, sticking the jab out while throwing some big shots. Ilia Topuria rushed in with a big combination and landed a massive right hand flush on VOlkanovski with his back on the cage. The champion immediately crumbled to the floor, unconscious, while Topuria followed up with the finishing blows.
The stoppage came at 3:32 of Round 2 with Topuria putting the champion out cold and backing up all his trash talk. It was an incredible moment for Ilia Topuria and a heartbreaking one for Alexander Volkanovski.
UFC Fighters React to Ilia Topuria Sealing the Deal to Become Champion
Featured Image Credit to Embed from Getty Images
