UFC featherweight No. 5 Ilya Topuria is not thrilled that after the unification bout with Yair Rodriguez, the reigning division champion Alexander Volkanovski plans to challenge Islam Makhachev again, whom he lost in the previous match.
“He is counting on revenge with Islam,” MMA Junkie quotes Topuria. “He wants to move up to lightweight because he is running from real danger. He knows where the real danger is, it’s me at featherweight. But he’s looking for the easy way, so he wants to move up to lightweight.”
“No doubt he thinks this is an easier fight for him. He was already in a cage with Islam, and he could not do anything to him. The fight was close and came to a judge’s decision. Of course, he would prefer a rematch with Islam – it’s less risky than fighting me.”
Recall that the featherweight unification fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Yair Rodriguez will headline the UFC 290 tournament in Las Vegas in less than a day, and Islam Makhachev plans to defend his lightweight title on October 21 at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.
Source: https://fighttime.ru/news/item/32028-topuriya-nazval-makhacheva-bolee-legkim-sopernikom-dlya-volkanovski.html?rand=19907
