Ilia Topuria and Alexander Volkanovski look destined to throw down once again, with the pair squaring off in the cage following ‘El Matador’s’ destructive win over Max Holloway.
The pair of featherweight greats stared into each other’s eyes, with the Australian determined to gain redemption over the man who rendered him unconscious at the start of the year.
Ilia Topuria and Alexander Volkanovski square-off in the cage
In a truly brutal performance, Ilia Topuria put Max Holloway to sleep for the first time in his career, to defend the 145-pound throne.
The pair exchanged brutal shots in an intriguing fight, with both men showing flashes of brilliance.
The Spanish-Georgian started well, landing his thunderous right hand and powerful leg kicks. However, as time rolled by, ‘Blessed’ got into his groove, picking off his opponent with flashy strikes.
Showcasing his greatness, Topuria adapted and overcame, ultimately landing a left hook to send his rival crashing towards the canvas.
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However, his celebrations didn’t last for long, as Topuria was quickly joined in the cage by Alexander Volkanovski and the pair shared a friendly face-to-face.
Topuria said: “If someone deserves it, it’s him, so, let’s do it, brother.”
In turn, the Aussie congratulated the 145-pound champion. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t still keen to knock out the man who relieved him of his title back in January.
Magomed Ankalaev fires shots at Alex Pereira after victory at UFC 308
While Volkanovski is keen to become champion once more, Magomed Ankalaev is determined to scale the mountain for the first time.
With an undefeated run stretching back to 2018, the Russian believes he deserves his shot at glory against Alex Pereira.
And having just defeated Aleksandar Rakic, his number-one contender status is beyond doubt.
After securing the victory, he fired a brutal jibe at ‘Poatan’.
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