Alexander Volkanovski Ends Rumors of an Ilia Topuria Rematch With a Huge Hint
Alexander Volkanovski has not fought since losing his 145lbs gold in devastating fashion to Ilia Topuria early last year. After all, ‘Volk’, considered the greatest featherweight of all time, got knocked out by ‘El Matador’ at UFC 298 last February and has sat out since. This is a bit surprising since the Aussie likes to stay active.
But the former P4P #1 has good reasons for doing so- he wants the rematch with Topuria next. While he could have well fought Diego Lopes or Brian Ortega (again) in the meantime, he does not want to put the title rematch at risk. But with no announcements made yet about the rematch, many are wondering when (or even if) it will happen. But Volkanovski is confident about it happening soon, at least that is what he told ‘Lucas Tracy MMA’ in a recent interview.
“I’ll be honest with you, nothing’s locked in but I’ve made it clear from the start, I’m fighting [Topuria] for the belt next. We’ve made it clear, we even went and had our face-off. So that’s going to happen. Look, the dates, you know, we have many in talks, but it’s not official, you know what I mean,” he said.
Over the past week, there have been rumors that Topuria-Volkanovski 2 is set for UFC 314 this April in Miami. And while the Aussie former champ didn’t confirm these rumors, he did hint that there may be some truth to it. On the other hand, he also clarified that there is no ‘exact date’ set yet, nor has a contract been signed.
“So we’ll see. I think I’ve given you enough… You’ve seen a lot of talks, we did the face-off. I think people are pretty certain that what’s going to be next. So I don’t think I’m going to get myself in trouble by saying that. But, yeah we don’t know the exact date. We got rough ideas… We’ve had chats, there’s whispers out there. Maybe they’re correct, maybe,” he added. And the man from down under knows full well the high, potentially career-defining stakes of the rematch.
After beating Volkanovski, Topuria bulldozered through Max Holloway, who was known for his granite chin and the second-best 145fer in UFC history. With these two victories, ‘El Matador’ has already earned his laurels as one of the greats in the division. That is why if Volkanovski beats the Spaniard, it would be huge for his legacy, and the Aussie is well aware.
“We’re looking at one of the biggest comebacks in UFC history, that’s what we’re looking for, that’s what we want and I’m going for I’m going all in,” Volkanovski said when asked about what a victory over Topuria would mean for him. Indeed, there is something called the ‘over-35 curse’ in the UFC. Male UFC fighters age 35 or older at 170 pounds and under are 2-23 in championship contests against younger opponents — and 0-16 at 155 or below.
This means that if ‘Volk’, who is 36 at the moment, wins the rematch, it may well be the biggest comeback in UFC history and perhaps even help put ‘Volk’ on or near the Mount Rushmore of MMA. What do you think about Alexander Volkanovski’s revelations about the Ilia Topuria rematch?
