Alexander Volkanovski is itching for a fight. He’s all set to remind the world of his greatness when he defends his featherweight strap against Ilia Topuria at UFC 298.
Volkanovski is keen to get back into the winning groove. His next chance? A bout against Topuria on Feb. 17. This comes after his second failed attempt at earning double-champ status against lightweight king Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 in October.
“The Great” stepped up on short notice as a replacement for Charles Oliveira. The result? A brutal Round 1 head-kick knockout loss.
Before this, Volkanovski was on a collision course with Topuria. But he stepped up for the double-champ bid. Meanwhile, the undefeated Spanish standout, Topuria, decided to wait for his title shot.
“El Matador” even uploaded a theatrical video. The message? He plans to maintain his undefeated record against Volkanovski.
Volkanovski feels his last loss against Makhachev is being seen as a sign of weakness by some. The Australian icon is eager to prove them wrong. He discussed this perceived vulnerability on the “Who The Fook Are These Guys” podcast.
His words? “Hey, one day I might be a little vulnerable,” Volkanovski said. “You might see me there covering my face at that one point, but the next week, I’m the baddest man on the planet. You remember that, and some people need to be reminded. The beautiful thing is I get to remind them not too far away.”
Volkanovski also thinks Topuria is in for a rude awakening. He believes when they trade leather in the main event at UFC 298, Topuria will learn a lesson in humility. The champ believes that might be good for the Spaniard in the long run.
“This guy thinks he’s the man,” Volkanovski said. “It’s funny. For me, I’ve always wanted to earn my stripes. Earn these positions, put myself in there, and earn that respect. This guy’s just getting things given to him and probably not even that much, but he thinks he’s the man. The beautiful thing about it is I get to teach a kid a lesson.”
He’s ready to go out there and humble him. He believes Topuria needs a bit of humbling — at 26, it’s the perfect age. He needs the world to see. He maybe needs a bit of embarrassment to snap things into gear.
Volkanovski’s final words? “Right now, he wants to act like how he’s acting, I’m just gonna teach him a lesson. I’m gonna embarrass him. He’s young enough to bounce back in a positive way. I’ll play teacher the next few months.”