Ilia Topuria says he won’t give any of the highest ranked featherweights a title shot if he becomes champion.
Topuria (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) challenges featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) in the UFC 298 headliner Feb. 17 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Volkanovski is a five-time defending champion, but after Topuria predicted a first-round knockout in their fight, he says an immediate rematch won’t be necessary.
“The way I’m going to beat him, they won’t even ask me about a rematch,” Topuria said on “The MMA Hour.”
When former champion Max Holloway was suggested as a big opportunity for his first title defense, Topuria shut that down quickly. He insists on going after Conor McGregor, who’s expected to return against Michael Chandler.
“I’m going to beat a guy that whooped his ass three times, how? It doesn’t make any sense,” Topuria said. “Max, Yair (Rodriguez), Brian Ortega, all of them, they can go and retire. I’m never going to give them the chance to fight for the title – never. …
“I don’t know (who’s next), to be honest. The UFC knows that even better than me, and I don’t think they’re going to even offer me Max or the names I told you. We’ll see. I’m just completely focused on my upcoming fight, and we’ll see what the future holds for me.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.
