That was Ilya Topria’s night at UFC 298 on Saturday.
Facing current featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, Topuria was looking to go undefeated and win his first UFC championship. The Georgian-Spanish MMA star took Volkanovski into the second round of the night and caught him with a hook to the jaw.
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Ilya Topria won the UFC Featherweight Championship by knockout against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 on February 17, 2024 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
When Volkanovski fell, Topria delivered the finishing blow. The 28-year-old held the UFC Featherweight Championship for the first time in his career and finished with a 15-0 record in his professional career. He is 7-0 since joining the UFC in 2020.
After the match, he said, “I feel very happy right now.” “They’ll tell you it’s impossible. They’ll beat you down and doubt you. But guess what? The only person you need to have your back in this life is yourself. Just… If you believe in yourself, work hard and have faith, everything is possible. Look at me now.”
Volkanovski won the featherweight title against Max Holloway in 2019. He defended the title against Holloway in July 2020 and July 2022. He also defended the title against Brian Ortega and Jung Chan-sung. During his reign, he was also the lightweight champion, but lost that belt to Islam Makhachev in October 2023.
He appealed to Topria for a rematch, but the new champion didn’t think the time was right yet.
Ilya Topria celebrates after knocking out Alexander Boranowski at UFC 298 on Saturday, February 17, 2024 in Anaheim. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Topria called out Conor McGregor in the Octagon during his post-fight speech.
“And Conor McGregor, if you still have the ball, I’ll be waiting for you in Spain,” he said.
McGregor hasn’t competed in the Octagon since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in 2021, but he’s been working towards a return to the UFC. There are rumors that he will face Michael Chandler in the near future, but it is unclear when his next fight will be.
Alexander Boranovsky (right) faces Ilya Topria during a featherweight bout at UFC 298 on February 17, 2024 in Anaheim. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
UFC president Dana White wanted Topuria to make his debut with the promotion in Spain in his next fight. He said he was happy that Topria confidently declared himself a champion even before winning the UFC title.
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“He definitely believes in himself,” he said. “It’s definitely putting himself out there. There’s a lot of ways to say it. It’s making a statement. It’s being cocky. He came out and made it real tonight.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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