Dillon Danis shares four-word reaction to Ilia Topuria taking Alexander Volkanovski's belt

Dillon Danis has reacted to Ilia Topuria's decision to snatch Alexander Volkanovski's belt at the UFC 298 press conference.

Topuria pulled a move reminiscent of Conor McGregor by grabbing Volkanovski's featherweight title at the UFC 298 press conference on Thursday. 'El Matador' is poised to challenge the 145-pound champion in the headline bout of the second pay-per-view event of 2024, slated for February 17 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

During the pre-fight presser, as 'The Great' fielded questions from journalists, Topuria made a sudden move, darting across the table to steal his world title. The 27-year-old Spaniard then proudly displayed it to the crowd before returning it when security intervened, prompting comparisons to 'The Notorious' swiping Jose Aldo's belt before their canceled showdown at UFC 189 in July 2015.

Check out the video of Ilia Topuria's antics below:

Danis, a close friend of the former two-division champion, also subtly juxtaposed McGregor and Topuria when he responded on ESPN MMA's Instagram post:

"I’m having déjà vu."

Check out Dillon Danis' comment below:

Credits: @espnmma on Instagram

Despite 'El Matador's' efforts to provoke Volkanovski during the event, his attempts appeared to be ignored, as the Aussie, preparing for his sixth title defense, stole the spotlight with his attire.

'The Great' injected a dose of levity into the press conference by donning the same elderly ensemble previously employed to promote his bout, emphasizing the theme of aging through his portrayal of an old man. His attire included a cardigan, a chain hanging from his bifocal glasses, and a flat hat.

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Alexander Volkanovski aims to teach Ilia Topuria a lesson at UFC 298

Describing Ilia Topuria as immensely confident before his first title fight against Alexander Volkanovski would be an understatement.

The undefeated contender has exuded an overwhelming wave of self-assurance throughout the entire buildup to the bout. However, the reigning champion is certain that 'El Matador' will falter in front of him on Saturday night.

During a recent interview with ESPN MMA, 'The Great' stated:

"We'll see how confident he is when I do what I plan on doing in February. You might see a bit of change in his tone after that. He hasn't had someone do that to him yet. That's why I think he'll be getting taught a lesson. Maybe a bit of humbling... If he is used to just being the hammer, he is going to crumble, and you could see him crumble pretty easily in February. That's what I plan on doing. I plan on showing him I'm the king of the division."

Check out Alexander Volkanovski's comments on Ilia Topuria below (11:50):