The UFC 312 main event, Dricus Du Plessis vs Sean Strickland 2, isn’t the only ‘rematch’ taking place on this weekend’s PPV card Down Under.
On the PPV prelims, featherweight champion Ilia Topuria faces Alexander Volkanovski; not in the octagon, but through its chain-link fence as they’re set to coach opposite each other.
‘El Matador’ will be in the corner of his older brother Aleksandre Topuria, whilst the popular Australian is supporting teammate Colby Thicknesse – the two finally came face-to-face at this morning’s ceremonial weigh-ins.
- SIBLING RIVALRY: Ilia ‘pushed’ the UFC to sign Aleksandre Topuria despite being against his brother’s original plans
Ilia Topuria and Alexander Volkanovski come face-to-face at UFC 312
The rivalry between Ilia Topuria and Alexander Volkanovski is intense – but certainly not bitter – with the two UFC stars showing respect as they prepare to coach against each other on Saturday evening.
At the UFC 312 ceremonial weigh-ins, the two featherweights came as close as they’ve come since Topuria claimed the 145lb title last year; exchanging a handshake and brief remarks after the elder Topuria and Thicknesse squared off.
The UFC cameras also caught footage of the two coming together backstage after Urijah Faber suggested that they take a quick picture together alongside Charles Oliveira.
Most of their exchange was sadly inaudible, with Volkanovski asking whether Topuria had been to Bondi Beach – Topuria said he hadn’t, as he’s focused solely on his brother getting the win this weekend in his UFC debut.
“I’m gonna be in the corner, which will be pretty cool,” noted Volkanovski on UFC Embedded, adding how the young Australian has “always in my corner throughout my whole career.
“And then you have Ilia who is going to be in Alexandre Topuria’s corner as well… That’s pretty cool, I don’t think it’s ever happened – champion, former champion, master coaches like Joe [Lopez] and [Ilia’s] coaches.”
Volkanovski accuses Topuria of ‘wasting time’ ahead of rumored rematch
Ilia Topuria followed up his sensational finish over Volkanovski with an even greater KO of Max Holloway last October; and since then, he’s repeatedly teased that he’s got one eye on the division above.
“We’ll see what’s gonna happen. Me personally, what I wanna do is to move up to 155lbs because I know by fact that I can become a two-weight world champion,” Topuria told Main Event TV earlier this week.
It didn’t take long for Volkanovski to respond to Topuria’s latest lightweight tease, accusing the Spanish Georgian sensation of ‘wasting time’ ahead of what everyone knows is the fight to make.
“I mean, to be honest, I think [the UFC] are trying to figure that out. We’ve got a date that we want, they know I want to fight, they want me to fight, they want me to fight for the belt.
“Of course, I don’t want to get in the way of someone’s [dreams]. I want that fight so it’s gonna suck because I’d love that but that’s just if the UFC wants it and he’s pushing for it and they can make that happen, then good on him but if they can’t make it happen, stop wasting time.”
The UFC has not yet announced Topuria vs Volkanovski 2, although one middleweight contender ‘knows for a fact’ that the rematch has been made behind-the-scenes.
“They just announced Ilia and Volk [for] April at UFC 314,” undefeated American Bo Nickal claimed on a recent episode of his ‘Nickals and Dimes’ Podcast.
“No, it’s official, I know for a fact – I don’t know that it was announced for a fact, but I know it’s happening, that’s a fact, yeah that’s happening.”
UFC 312: Du Plessis vs Strickland 2 goes down live on Saturday, February 8.