Alexander Volkanovski begs Ilia Topuria to not fight Max Holloway: “Let me be the guy to beat you up’

Alexander Volkanovski, the reigning featherweight champion, secured his fifth consecutive title defense with a spectacular knockout victory over Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290. As the dust settled in the Octagon, Volkanovski found himself face to face with rising star Ilia Topuria, sparking speculation of a potential future matchup between the two featherweight contenders.

In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on TheMMAHour, Volkanovski had a message for Topuria, urging him not to pursue a fight against former champion Max Holloway. Volkanovski expressed his desire to be the one to challenge and defeat Topuria, stating:

"Please don't fight Max. Let's not make that happen. Let me be the guy to beat you up."

Check out Alexander Volkanovski's

Volkanovski's plea to Topuria comes in response to recent remarks made by the Georgian fighter, claiming that he would easily dethrone the champion.

Alexander Volkanovski, known for his confidence and unwavering belief in his abilities, is determined to prove Topuria wrong and solidify his reign as the dominant force in the featherweight division.

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Ilia Topuria promises Alexander Volkanovski a first-round finish in a potential match

Ilia Topuria, the rising UFC featherweight contender, showed no signs of being impressed by Alexander Volkanovski's recent victory over Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290. In a bold statement during the same interview on The MMA Hour, Topuria downplayed Volkanovski's performance, stating that there was "nothing special" about it.

According to Topuria, 'The Great' did what was expected of him in the fight, but he failed to leave a lasting impression. The Georgian fighter expressed his lack of admiration for Rodriguez's fighting style and believed that the outcome was predictable.

Furthermore, 'El Matador' exuded confidence in his own abilities, asserting that a matchup against the featherweight king would be an easy fight for him. He emphasized his preference for facing technically skilled opponents, as he finds it easier to develop a game plan against them compared to unpredictable fighters.

“Nothing special, He did what he was supposed to do. He did a good job in the fight. He took him down, ground and pound. ... I wasn’t impressed at all. I saw what I was supposed to see – you know, beat [Rodriguez], because I never liked Jair’s fight style.”

Ilia Topuria further added:

“For me, it’s going to be an easy fight [with Volkanovski]. ... Every time I move up in the rankings, every fight is going to be more easy for me. And why? Because it’s more easy to have a game plan against guys who are more technical than fight with someone who’s unpredictable.”

Check out Topuria's comments below from 0:20 onwards: