Alexander Volkanovski backs Ilia Topuria lightweight title shot, predicts Topuria vs. Makhachev outcome

Alexander Volkanovski wanted a rematch with Ilia Topuria, but has no problem with the featherweight champion moving up to chase a second belt instead.

Talks of booking Topuria vs. Volkanovski emerged immediately after the main event of UFC 298, which saw Topuria score a second-round knockout of Volkanovski to become featherweight champion. Topuria went on to successfully defend the title with another stunning knockout of former titleholder Max Holloway, while Volkanovski has spent the better part of the past 12 months enjoying a well-deserved break from competition.

Volkanovski returns to fight for the featherweight belt at UFC 314 on April 12, but he’s not facing Topuria. Instead, Volkanovski takes on Diego Lopes for a vacant title, with Topuria moving up to lightweight for a potential fight with Islam Makhachev. Though it’s not yet known if Topuria will immediately get a crack at Makhachev, Volkanovski believes it would be justified based on how Topuria has handled the situation.

“Put it this way, if he was trying to hang on to both belts, I don’t think that was going to happen,” Volkanovski said on the Believe You Me podcast. “The fact that he’s vacated and the lightweight division’s in a position where, I don’t know, there’s no real clear No. 1, I think it’s fair. The fact that he vacated, I think that that’s fair.

“If he wanted to hang on and do the double champ thing, I think he needed to do more work, but the fact that he’s like, ‘Look, I’m going to let this one go. Let that division move on. I want to commit to lightweight. I think that’s big. I think that’s fair, so I think he sort of deserves it.”

Topuria is 16-0 in his career and while featherweight is a division deep with potential contenders, “El Matador” believes he’s ready to become the UFC’s next “champ-champ.” According to UFC CEO Dana White, Topuria isn’t keen on cutting down to 145 pounds anymore either.

Should Topuria eventually step into the octagon with Makhachev, it would pit the No. 1 (Makhachev) and No. 2 (Topuria) Pound-for-Pound fighters in the world against one another. They have a shared opponent in Volkanovski, who offered a prediction for the fight—and how Topuria can win.

“How do I think that fight’s going to go?” Volkanovski said. “I have fought both of them. Islam is going to be a hard man to beat, for anyone, I think the only chance of him losing is someone knocking him out. Like, someone landing something, that’s what I believe. I’ve always believed that about myself, the only way I would lose is someone catching me rather than actually beating me. The only person I believe that will give me that close fight is Islam and I feel the same for Islam with a lot of opposition. I think everyone has a puncher’s chance and I think that’s the only way I see him really losing, someone catching him.

“And if anyone can do it, it is Ilia. Ilia’s obviously got some dangerous hands, so for people to just count him out, you know he’s got power in his hands, you know he’s going to be looking for it. You know he’s composed and even if things aren’t going his way he’s going to keep looking for it, keep trying to find it until he does or until he loses. So you know he’s dangerous, maybe if the gas tank goes, we’ll see when he starts them later rounds with someone like Islam, but early on the first couple or first three rounds, he’s going to be dangerous. You don’t want to be getting caught by any of those punches, so if anyone can catch him, I think Ilia’s right up there for a chance.”