Alexander Volkanovski looking forward to humbling Ilia Topuria at UFC 298: “The man to do that”

UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski believes he’s the right man to humble Ilia Topuria.

‘The Great’ has been out of action since a short-notice rematch with Islam Makhachev last month. The lightweight champion was first expected to face Charles Oliveira, but ‘Do Bronx’ withdrew due to injury. As a result, Alexander Volkanovski stepped up on two weeks notice.

The featherweight champion suffered a knockout loss that night at UFC 294 but has already booked his return. In February, Alexander Volkanovski will face Ilia Topuria. ‘El Matador’ enters the matchup undefeated, and coming off a decision win over Josh Emmett earlier this year.

While a dominant win for Ilia Topuria, Alexander Volkanovski believes the featherweight isn’t flawless. During a recent interview with Fox Sports, ‘The Great’ previewed his return. There, he stated that his next opponent is very good and well-rounded, but can use some humility.

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Image from the UFC.

“He’s a powerful dude, he’s good everywhere,” Alexander Volkanovski stated regarding his UFC 298 opponent Ilia Topuria. “He’s not one-dimensional, he’s obviously very well-rounded. I just believe my skills and my understanding of the game are just going to be a little bit too much for him. He’s a young, hungry dude, undefeated, very, very confident. But, I think he needs a little bit of humbling, so I’m glad to be the man to do that.”

He continued, …“I’ve got the right team around me and we just thought that January was too soon [to return]. I was lucky enough to have the UFC and the guys there make that happen and move things around for me, which I’m grateful for, and I think the timing will be perfect.”

What do you make of these comments from Alexander Volkanovski? Do you believe he’ll defeat Ilia Topuria at UFC 298?