Ilia Topuria wants a rematch with Alexander Volkanovski next, but the reigning featherweight champion plans on dictating the terms of their engagment.
“Right now he’s gonna have to wait for my time. Right now I’m the one who chooses the time and place.Topuria dethroned Volkanovski via knockout at UFC 298 this past February. The undefeated champ then put his strap on the line for the first time againston Saturday at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Backing his words up with action, Topuria scored a third-round knockout win over Holloway, who had never been stopped by strikes before in his entire career.
Volkanovski, who was in attendance for the event, subsequently entered the Octagon to call for a rematch against Topuria. While’ name was also pitched to Topuria as a potential opponent, “El Matador” expressed interest in running it back with Volkanovski. An ideal card for that potential matchup would the UFC’s debut in Spain, which could take place sometime in 2025. While Volkanovski admits that the Georgian-Spaniard champ has earned the right to fight in his backyard, he doesn’t want to wait too long for the rematch.after UFC 308. “As long as I’m not waiting too long, that’s the big problem for me. I’d love for to have his moment in Spain, and we’ll fight there and that. Hopefully we’re not waiting years. That’s the only problem.
Meanwhile, Topuria reiterated that he considers “The Great” the next rightful title contender. However, the champ wants to call every shot regarding that bout. “Right now, he’s gonna have to wait til my time,” Topuria told reporters. “Right now I’m the one who chooses the time, the place — I choose everything. Right now I’m the champion, he’s the challenger… I respect him, too. He deserves the shot. No one else deserves the shot more in the featherweight division than Volk.”BELLATORUFC 308 ‘Topuria vs. Holloway’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round ScoringUmar Nurmagomedov: Rumored Yadong Song Matchup at UFC Tampa Is OffUFC 308 ‘Topuria vs.
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