Volkanovski says rival’s record doesn’t merit the hype
Alex Volkanovski believes Ilia Topuria has been fast-tracked into a title fight on the back of his cocky trash talk and large social media following rather than the strength of fighters he’s beaten.
The Aussie featherweight champion also says people are over-hyping the undefeated Topuria’s boxing skills and “El Matador” only has a “puncher’s chance”.
Volkanovski will make his sixth defence of the featherweight belt when he fights the brash Topuria at UFC 298 in Anaheim this weekend.
While much has been made of Volkanovski’s age, he said people weren’t focusing on Topuria’s relatively smooth road to his title shot.
“I look at his fights and say he’s had a very easy way to the top,” Volkanovski said. “That’s just facts. And they are still hyping him up anyway.
“Right now, he has the hype, they are talking him up. Beautiful. It probably should annoy me but it doesn’t.
“I use it as fuel but it doesn’t annoy me.”
Volkanovski was made to graft his way to his first title shot when he won fights all over Australia, Idaho, Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro.
Along the way, he beat a dangerous Darren Elkins, who was on an impressive six-fight win streak.
“Volk” then stopped former interim featherweight title challenger Chad Mendes in two rounds before beating “The King of Rio” and former longtime featherweight champion Jose Aldo in Rio de Janeiro. Only then did he get his shot at champion Max Holloway.
In comparison, Topuria landed his title fight thanks to wins over Josh Emmett and Bryce Mitchell following a brief move up to lightweight in 2022. Emmett was coming off an interim title fight defeat to Yair Rodriguez when he lost a one-sided five-round decision to Topuria last June.
Mitchell is a talent but has since gone 1-2 and was the victim of one of the scariest knockouts in UFC history when Emmett stopped him in the first round in December.
“He’s undefeated and has all this hype but people who really know the game, like myself and my team, we understand a lot more,” Volkanovski said of
Topuria’s rise. “We’re not just looking at a couple of stats. We’re not just looking at his win over Josh Emmett. I don’t care about any of that.
“I’m looking at the holes in his game, the things I can exploit and the things he could do way better.
“Look at the people I beat. Chad Mendes, Aldo, Holloway. But I guarantee you that people that really understand the game, they only believe he has a puncher’s chance.”
In fairness to Topuria, he does pack one hell of a punch.
Before making the UFC, the majority of Topuria’s wins came by submission.
His reputation really took off when he put together a string of impressive knockouts in the UFC.
It has caused many to say Topuria is the best boxer Volkanovski has ever fought but the Aussie laughs that off.
“I don’t care if he’s the best boxer in the world,’’ Volkanovski said. “This is MMA. “Do people forget what sport we’re in? You’re telling me I only need to worry about two hands, and maybe a double leg? I’m meant to be scared of that?”