“You have been sentenced to fight Max” - Ilia Topuria sparks controversy with backhanded UFC 294 wish for Alexander Volkanovski

Ilia Topuria recently called out Alexander Volkanovski for a title fight in January.

On June 24, Topuria extended his UFC record to 6-0 with a five-round unanimous decision win against Josh Emmett. Since then, ‘El Matador’ has advocated for a featherweight title shot against Volkanovski, which seemed to be materializing for UFC Canada on January 24, 2024.

Unfortunately for Topuria, his plans were thrown off when Volkanovski recently accepted a short-notice rematch against Islam Makhachev for October 21.

Following the shocking announcement, ‘El Madator’ had this to say on Twitter:

“@alexvolkanovski best of luck. Get that second title so I can knock you out in January and become a double champ!”

Ilia Topuria is currently the number five-ranked UFC featherweight. With that said, there aren’t any title challengers more deserving than him, as Max Holloway, Brian Ortega, and Yair Rodriguez have lost against Alexander Volkanovski.

Therefore, it would make sense if Topuria was next up to challenge Volkanovski for his 145-pound throne.

(Image via Twitter @TopuriaIlia)

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Fans react to Ilia Topuria calling out Alexander Volkanovski for a fight in January

Most of the MMA community seems to respect Ilia Topuria for his win streak inside the octagon. Meanwhile, Topuria’s confidence in defeating Alexander Volkanovski has rubbed some fans the wrong way.

Once Topuria posted his recent callout, fans filled the Twitter comment section with various responses, including the following people saying:

“Doesn't work that way. Regardless, Volk isn't losing at 145”

“Bro went 5 rounds with Josh Emmett and thinks he walks through Volks”

“Future champ!”

“Brother just get to the fight and focus on one belt and reigning on the division.”

"You have been sentenced to fight Max kid, you are gonna fight him at 297 and if you dont know most of his title wins are in Canada"

Twitter comments

Ilia Topuria must execute a high-level game plan to defeat Alexander Volkanovski. Since joining the UFC, Volkanovski has established a 13-1 promotional record, with his lone loss being against Islam Makhachev in a close fight for the lightweight title.

When it comes to fighting at featherweight, ‘The Great’ has been unbeatable, leading to a legendary resume featuring Max Holloway x3, ‘The Korean Zombie,’ Jose Aldo, and Chad Mendes.

Only time will tell if Topuria can hand Volkanovski his first featherweight loss in the octagon.