Alexander Volkanovski Says Ilia Topuria Has The Power To Dethrone Islam Makhachev

by · The Fresno Bee

Former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski says that if anyone can dethrone reigning undisputed UFC lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, it's Ilia Topuria.

Topuria knocked out Volkanovski at UFC 298 to capture the undisputed UFC featherweight title back in February 2024, then defended the belt by becoming the first man to knock out former champion Max Holloway at UFC 308.

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After those two marquee wins, Topuria signaled his intention to move up to challenge Makhachev, and eventually made that move official as he confirmed he was stepping up to lightweight.

In doing so, Topuria also relinquished the undisputed featherweight title. It was a move that demonstrated his commitment to competing at lightweight moving forward, but also meant that the 145-pound division could move on.

Volkanovski said that he respects Topuria's decision to vacate the 145-pound title in a bid to move up and capture lightweight gold, when some fighters may have attempted to hold on to the title and, potentially, hold up the division in the process.

"Put it this way, if he was trying to hang on to both belts, I don't think that was going to happen," Volkanovski told Michael Bisping 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."

Volkanovski will be a very interested spectator if Topuria challenges Makhachev for the lightweight title. He's shared the Octagon with both men, and knows first hand what they are capable of.

And, when asked how he thought a fight between the pair would go, he had an interesting take.

"I have fought both of them. Islam is going to be a hard man to beat, for anyone," he said.

"I think the only chance of him losing is someone knocking him out. 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."

But, with that said, Volkanovski said that Topuria has the style – and the punch power – to do exactly that, and he gives the Spanish-Georgian star a big chance of dethroning the current UFC pound-for-pound number one.

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"If anyone can do it, it is Ilia," he said.

"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 in 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."

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This story was originally published March 19, 2025 at 4:14 AM.