Topuria knocks out Volkanovski to grab UFC featherweight belt

MANILA, Philippines – Ilia Topuria ended Alexander Volkanovski’s four-year reign atop the UFC’s featherweight division with a combination of strikes then a debilitating punch to the jaw to complete the stunning knockout and grab the championship belt in the main event of UFC 298.

Topuria knocked out the Australian great at the 3:32 mark of the second round of their five-round match at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

Volkanovski did well in the first round although Topuria, the Georgian-Spaniard, gave a good account of himself. In the second round, showing no signs of fear, Topuria went on the offensive. Just as he did prior to the fight with Volkanovski.

In the lead-up, Topuria, who remains undefeated at 15-0, including seven in the UFC, openly wondered who he would take on for his first title defense. And after beating the Australian, he proceeded to call out Connor MacGregor for a fight in Spain.

Volkanovski defeated Max Holloway for the title in 2019 and defended it five times. But a pair of losses to Islam Makhachev, including a knockout the last time around, probably signals his decline especially at age 33. 

The former champion’s record fell to 26-4. However, that is three losses in the past year. Three of Volkanovski’s losses have come by way of knockout; the other a unanimous decision defeat to Makhachev in UFC 284. 

Volkanovski is looking for a rematch, but at this stage, the Topuria-MacGregor (assuming he bites) will be an exciting one. 

The next live UFC event is UFC Fight Night featuring Brandon Moreno-Brandon Royval 2, with Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega squaring off in the co-main event at 11 a.m. on Sunday, February 25. The match will be televised live on the Premier Sports channel on Sky Cable and Cignal as well as on Blast TV.