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Ilia Topuria is prepared to move into enemy territory if it means a UFC title combat with featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski.
In the primary occasion of UFC Jacksonville this previous Saturday, Topuria put on a dominant showing towards Josh Emmett that saved his undefeated report intact and established him as one of the vital harmful challengers within the 145-pound division.
Topuria later mentioned he’s eyeing a title shot, however he would even be prepared to combat Max Holloway if the UFC have been to arrange for that matchup to happen in his adopted residence of Spain. Introduced with the opportunity of having to fly to Australia to combat Volkanovski on the champ’s residence turf, the featherweight challenger embraced it.
“No f****** drawback,” Topuria mentioned. “If I feel I’m the most effective on the earth, I can beat him in Australia, in Las Vegas, in Miami, in Spain, wherever we go, I beat him. Location is not any drawback.”
There’s no assure Volkanovski will nonetheless have the belt round his waist when Topuria is able to combat once more. The champ is presently set to defend it towards interim champion Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290 on July 8. Ought to Volkanovski proceed his unimaginable reign, it’s potential he could as soon as once more bounce as much as 155 kilos for a rematch with light-weight champion Islam Makhachev, who narrowly defeated him at UFC 284.
That’s one motive why Topuria is as a substitute contemplating a combat with Holloway, however his major objective is to win a UFC title.
“Proper now, I’m actually centered on getting that championship belt,” he mentioned. “I wish to get that title combat, which I do know that I deserve. But when they arrive out with some supply to go to Spain and make a combat in Spain with Max Holloway possibly, as a result of in the event that they informed me to go to Spain to combat somebody unknown, I’m not going to ask for that combat as a result of I wish to go for that belt. But when they arrive out and so they informed me, ‘We wish to take the UFC to Spain and also you’re going to combat with Max Holloway,’ I’ll say, ‘Hell sure, let’s go, let’s do it.’ I wish to combat in entrance of my individuals.”
Whereas a win over Holloway would additional cement Topuria because the No. 1 contender at 145 kilos, he’s not completely positive it’s obligatory for him to beat anybody else to earn a championship alternative. The way in which he sees it, he’s the most suitable choice to interrupt Volkanovski’s iron grip on the division.
“That’s probably the most life like state of affairs for me,” Topuria mentioned. “There may be nothing else for me. I confirmed to everybody — even earlier than this with Bryce Mitchell — on this division nobody can match my degree of ability contained in the cage. No one can, nobody. Nobody.
“So what else is there for me on this division however to combat for the title? If somebody can cease me and somebody’s pondering they’re the champ, nobody else can do it.”
Requested for a decide, Topuria mentioned that he expects Volkanovski to retain the belt at UFC 290. Nevertheless, he stopped wanting suggesting he’s rooting for Volkanovski to win with a purpose to hold a transparent path for himself; if Volkanovski have been to lose, it’s potential he’d be granted an instantaneous rematch towards Rodriguez.
Topuria has waited this lengthy to get his due, and it doesn’t matter what’s subsequent, he’s superb with ready to search out out.
“Like I mentioned, the most effective abilities I’ve is persistence,” he mentioned. “I can wait. I’m younger, I’m 26 years previous, I take pleasure in life. I’m proud of all the things I’ve, so I can wait. I didn’t rush for something. No drawback.”
“It doesn’t matter for me,” he continued. “I’ve the objective, which is to change into the world champion and if I’ve to attend, I’ll wait my entire life. Why am I not going to attend, like six extra months or one thing like that? I’m going to attend.”
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