UFC featherweight title challenger Ilia Topuria plans to repeat the success of Islam Makhachev and knockout Alexander Volkanovski in the opening five minutes.
“If you think someone can imitate me, it means your last fight had severe long-term consequences!” the Spanish-Georgian fighter wrote on social media, addressing the Australian. “I’ll knock you out in the first round too. You’re old, it’s time for you to retire. It’s time to leave and make room for the new Topuria era.”
Last October, Alexander Volkanovski made a second unsuccessful attempt to take the UFC lightweight title from Islam Makhachev, losing to the Russian by knockout at the 3:06 mark of the first round. Eight months earlier, the Australian fighter lost to Makhachev by unanimous decision over five rounds in a competitive bout.
The title fight between Alex Volkanovski and Elijah Topuria will be the main event of UFC 298, which takes place Feb. 17 in Anaheim.
Source: https://fighttime.ru/news/item/33586-iliya-topuriya-obeshchaet-povtorit-dostizhenie-islama-makhacheva.html?rand=19907
