After beginning his professional career with seven stranglehold victories, UFC featherweight title challenger Ilia Topuria plans to return to basic tactics in his upcoming bout with the division’s current champion, Aleksander Volkanovski.
“I really think I’m going to have an advantage here because he’s a good puncher, but he’s not a basic wrestler, and he’s not very good in the parterre,” MMAJunkie quoted the Georgian fighter as saying. “I’m going to take advantage of that to change things up and take control.”
According to the challenger, he doesn’t attach much importance to the champion’s previous defeat, who made an unsuccessful foray into the lightweight division and lost by knockout to Islam Makhachev.
“What happened in his last fight doesn’t change anything for me. It won’t affect the result of our fight in any way, so I remain fully focused and continue to train with the best in the world. I’m sure I’ll win. Alex has nothing to lose. He’s already lost. He already knows how it feels, but I’m not going to experience that feeling.”
After defeating the Australian, Topuria plans to make her first title defense against another great welterweight.
“I’m going to beat Wolf on February 17 and then I’m going to fight Max Holloway in Spain. That’s my goal right now and I think it’s going to happen.”
As a reminder, the featherweight title fight between Alex Volkanovski and Elijah Topuria will be the main event of UFC 298, which takes place on February 17.
Source: https://fighttime.ru/news/item/33224-iliya-topuriya-raskryl-plan-na-boj-s-aleksom-volkanovski.html?rand=19907
