UFC News: Emotional Ilia Topuria’s Confession Gets a Wholesome Response From Alexander Volkanovski

Published 02/20/2024, 5:58 PM HKT

Follow Us

UFC 298 lived up to its expectations when the main event of the night got a spicy twist. Ilia Topuria crowned himself with the featherweight gold after a spectacular knockout victory over ‘The Great’, Alexander Volkanovski. There seemed to be a bit of bad blood between the warriors but it was all a facade, as after the win, Topuria conveyed his wishes to ‘Volk’ for being a great warrior.

America’s Favorite Video Today

The UFC 298 pre-fight press con͏feren͏ce echoed the intensity of Conor McGregor͏ and Jose Aldo‘s histo͏ric press conference. In an attempt to add intrigue, Topuria mirro͏red McGregor͏’s bold move from ͏2015 by snatching Volkanovski’s belt. Fans perceived Topuri͏a’s actions to be a bit far-fetched, anticipating a continuation of animosit͏y after the fight. However, the post-fight scenario turned out to be different.

Alexander Volkanovsi and Ilia Topuria’s heartwarming exchange

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Ilia Topuria dethroned the ‘Great’ to become only the fifth featherweight champion of the UFC since the division’s inception. The tremendous knockout in the second round was the highlight of the night. Topuria was unfazed by ‘Volk’s unblemished record in the division and took the champ head-on.

Post the fight, the Georgian-Spanish sensation took to his Instagram handle to appreciate Volkanovski’s legendary status. Topuria shared a photo of them on his story and wrote “Thank you, Volk. You were a tough opponent who made me even better. It was an honor to share the octagon with you.”

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest UFC stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

In a heartwarming gesture, Volkanovski has responded to Topuria’s kind words for him. The former featherweight champ took to his Instagram handle to reshare Topuria’s story and wrote “Appreciate it, brother. Congratulations on your victory.” 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by El Matador (@iliatopuria)

It must be noted that Ilia Topuria has agreed to provide an immediate rematch to Volkanovski and the fight might happen sooner or later. What’s more, Topuria has now overthrown ‘Volk’ and other fighters in the UFC’s P4P rankings. So where do Topuria and other winners from UFC 298 stand at the table? Let’s find out.

Topuria debuts in UFC’s P4P rankings

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

There was a time when Alexander Volkanovski was close to becoming the pound-4-pound king but time changed everything. A year down the line. ‘Volk’ has now lost his belt as well as his ranking atop the P4P list. After UFC 298 concluded, the rankings have been updated and Topuria has jumped not only Volkanovski but multiple champions. 

Watch This Story: Dana White Opens Up On UFC 300 Status After Powerslap 6 

‘El Matador’ has roared to the rankings table with a boom. As of today, Topuria is ranked #5 at the UFC’s P4P rankings leap-frogging the likes of Sean O’Malley, Dricus Du Plessis, Alexandre Pantoja, and Volkanovski, who has been demoted to the 7th rank.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

When it comes to the featherweight division, the Australian still holds the number 1 contender status. In the coming year, we might witness new fighters inching closer to the p4p rankings.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

ADVERTISEMENT

Written by:

Suryakant Das

784Articles

One take at a time

Suryakant Das is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. His fascination with combat sports was sparked by gleeful moments he shared with his father watching wrestling. An ardent fan of UFC star Charles Oliveira, Surya closely follows the sport and keeps tabs on behind-the-scenes action.
Show More>

Edited by:

Yeswanth Praveen

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

EDITORS' PICK

America’s Favorite Video Today