Topuria able to knocking out Makhachev

Alexander Volkanovski thinks UFC champion Ilia Topuria has the facility to place anybody away – at featherweight and light-weight.

Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) is coming off back-to-back knockouts of Volkanovski and most lately Max Holloway in Saturday’s UFC 308 primary occasion in Abu Dhabi. Topuria needs a shot at light-weight champion Islam Makhachev and is assured he can submit him.

Volkanovski isn’t positive concerning the submitting him half however positively received’t rule out Topuria’s likelihood of catching Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) on the ft.

“Submission, I don’t see that taking place,” Volkanovski stated on “The Ariel Helwani Present.” “Can he knock Islam out? After all. He can knock anybody out in them two divisions (featherweight and light-weight). I’ve at all times stated, and it’s going to be the identical for Islam, the one approach I see these guys like myself dropping is getting caught. Who can catch these? It’s guys like Ilia that may try this.

“He may go on the market and land, however going on the market and beating Islam and even submitting him and controlling him, I feel that may be very, most unlikely. However positively may catch him. Ilia can catch anybody in them two divisions, so you’ll be able to by no means rely out Ilia in them fights, however they’ll be powerful fights. If he can’t knock them out, they’re powerful fights for him. Very powerful fights.”

Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) has been taking day off ever since dropping his featherweight title to Topuria at UFC 298 in February. He seems to have gotten UFC CEO Dana White’s approval on a right away rematch, however Topuria and his group are usually not eager on preventing at UFC 312 Feb. 8 in Sydney.

Each Volkanovski and Diego Lopes have brazenly stated they might battle one another on that date for the interim title if Topuria opts in opposition to a comparatively fast turnaround.

For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC 308.