Ilia Topuria Makes Bold Statement On UFC Champion Alexander Volkanovski

The top featherweight has put the champion on notice.

Fernando Quiles Jr. | Jun 26, 2023

Ilia Topuria Makes Bold Statement On UFC Champion Alexander Volkanovski /

Rising UFC featherweight contender Ilia Topuria has a clear message for 145-pound champion Alexander Volkanovski.

Topuria is fresh off a dominant performance against Josh Emmett in the main event of UFC Jacksonville on June 24. While Topuria wasn't able to nab the finish, he was able to knock his opponent down in route to a clear unanimous decision victory.

Ilia Topuria lands a punch on Josh Emmett in the main event of UFC Jacksonville. — (via Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK)

After the fight, Topuria expressed his belief that he's ready for a shot at the UFC Featherweight Championship. The current titleholder, Volkanovski, will be taking on interim champion Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290 on July 8 in a title unification bout.

During an appearance on "The MMA Hour," Topuria was asked by Ariel Helwani if he'd be fine with fighting Volkanovski in enemy territory. Topuria made his answer clear.

"No f***ing problem," Topuria said. "If I'm the best in the world, I can beat him in Australia, in Las Vegas, in Miami, in Spain. Whenever we go, I beat him. Location is no problem."

Whether or not the UFC will book Topuria against the winner of Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez remains to be seen. If anything, the rising 145-pounder has certainly made a case for himself.

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Published Jun 26, 2023

FERNANDO QUILES JR.

Fernando has over a decade of combat sports news writing experience. He currently covers MMA, boxing, and pro wrestling. Fernando joined MMA Knockout as the Lead Writer/Editor when it was founded in 2023.