Ilia Topuria claims he knows the secret to dethrone the long reigning UFC Featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298.
UFC 298 will be taking place on 17th February in Los Angeles, California, with a venue yet to be decided. The event will be headlined by a 145-pound title fight between the reigning champ Volkanovski and the undefeated Topuria.
Volkanovski is 1-2 in his last three outings in the Octagon, with both of his losses coming against the lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. Meanwhile, Topuria is coming off a unanimous decision win over Josh Emmett at UFC Jacksonville in June.
He’s not a natural wrestler… that’s where I’m going to make a difference: Ilia Topuria
Speaking on the ‘Overdogs’ Podcast through an interpreter, Topuria stated that he will be going into the fight with an advantage over Volkanovski, pointing at the Aussie’s ground game.
“That’s where I really think I have the advantage with him because he’s a good striker, but he’s not a natural wrestler, or he’s not good on the ground. That’s where I’m going to make a difference,” Topuria stated. “For me, what happened in his last fight (with Makhachev) doesn’t change anything. I know the result will be the same, training is the same, the focus is the same. I’m going to train for the best in the world, and I’m pretty sure I’m going to get that win.”
“He has really nothing to lose. He already lost. He already knows how that feels, I don’t know how that feels, and I better never taste how that’s going to feel,” he went on. “So, that’s what I think is going to happen that I’m going to beat Volk on Feb. 17 and then I’m going to fight Max Holloway here in Spain. That’s my goal right now, and I think it’s going to happen.” [H/T BJPenn.com]
SHARE
