In the midst of the pre-fight press conference for UFC 298, Topuria snatched the belt from Volkanovski just as the Australian was criticizing his opponent for a photo shoot with the champion’s gold.
“Like I said, you can take the opportunity to touch him now,” said the champion, who showed up to the press conference dressed as “Old Man Wolf.” “You won’t see him again until I teach you a lesson. Maybe one day you’ll be a great champion, but first I’m going to kick your ass. That will teach you a lesson. Maybe after that you can come back, but until then, keep your hands off my belt.”
The featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Elijah Topuria will headline a numbered event on February 17 in Anaheim.
On the eve of the Australian fighter announced that after his title defense he is ready to save the UFC 300 anniversary tournament, which is still without a main event.