by Ilia Topuria may have said Alexander Volkanovski deserved a chance to regain his former title, but Team Matador disagrees.
Topuria was full of respect in the cage after his UFC 308 win over Max Holloway. He heaped praise on “Blessed” and did the same when the promotion got Volkanovski to push for a rematch. Topuria won the belt in February against “The Great” with an impressive second-round knockout.
Following the event, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed that Volkanovski would not be denied a shot at the title, but Topuria’s coach Jorge Climent is now hoping for a second belt, held by Islam Makhachev, rather than another defense at featherweight.
“When you see his [first] Fight with Volk, he suffered, you know?” Climent said in an interview with Submission Radio. “And I think Ilia looked a lot better against Volk than against him. I think it’s a good fight for Ilia.”
“Islam, in my opinion, is the struggle,” he continued. “I think if he’s done that in 27 years – he’s fighting Volk, he’s fighting Holloway, now Islam. When he finishes him? And don’t knock him down. Because the great thing [about Topuria is] He goes into his opponent’s specialty. If he can end Islam [by submission]Wow. I think this is very, very epic.”
In an interview with Red Corner MMA, Topuria’s manager Lukasz Orzel reiterated Climent’s desire for Topuria to bet on Mak, saying he has the necessary qualifications to do so.
“We have 20 black belts in our gym,” Orzel said. “And I can tell you that after just two years of training at the Climent Club, no one has taken a single point from Ilia. Ilia is the Ronaldo of mixed martial arts. So there are no limits for him.”
With Topuria stating that he is in no rush to return to action quickly and talk of an interim fight between Volkanovski and Diego Lopes in February, the question becomes whether “El Matador” really trumps “The Great”. and can land a double champion fight against Makhachev?
What do you think of this match, Maniacs? Let us know in the comments below.
