Volkanosvki vows to ‘humble’ Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 as cockiest title challenger since Conor McGregor eyes superstardom
Volk's next opponent is just as cocky as Conor McGregor was back in 2015
ALEXANDER VOLKANOVSKI reckons Ilia Topuria is more concerned with being a celebrity than a UFC champion.
The Georgian-born Spaniard has ruffled many a feather with his cocksure antics ahead of his shot at featherweight gold this weekend at UFC 298 in Anaheim, California.
Chief among them – along with Hollywood-esque videos declaring himself the next 145lbs king – is his changing of his Instagram bio to read as “UFC World Champion Undefeated 15-0” along with an image of himself holding a belt.
Topuria has also shown his penchant for the finer things in life in the build-up to the biggest fight of his career, which he merely sees as his formal coronation as the UFC’s next superstar.
Topuria’s antics haven’t gone unnoticed by featherweight king Volkanovski, who believes ‘El Matador is setting himself up for the grandest of falls.
‘The Great’ told SunSport: “I think he really loves the whole – what could I say – the famous side of things. The celebrity sort of business.
“Mate, this ain’t the celebrity business. Yeah, you might be popular but you’ve gotta remember what comes first. It’s training.
“If you’re already sitting there being a celebrity, you’re gonna be in for a rude, rude shock when you come and face me.
“Or anyone [of these top guys]. He hasn’t had the chance to face some of these top guys. It’s not gonna be enough.”
Topuria’s skills inside the octagon and lavish lifestyle outside of it have, so far, guided him to a perfect 14-0 record.
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But Volkanovski insists the next fine dish Topuria will taste will be a big slice of “humble” pie.
The Aussie said: “If you’re sitting there and having fancy glasses of wine at restaurants all the time and doing movies and wanting to be in movies and trying to play superstar, I’m gonna bring you back down to earth.
“I’m gonna humble you and do you a favour. I literally think that’s how it is.
“So even if he’s not a bad kid, whether he’s just playing the game, I still believe it’s getting to his head.”
As much as he believes Topuria’s attentions may be misplaced, Volkanovski admits the 27-year-old could potentially be putting up a smokescreen.
“Is it arrogance?” he asked. “Is it cockiness? Or is it playing the game?
“Is he playing the game but really in the gym preparing and knowing that this is a really tough fight and he needs to step up his game?
“We don’t know.
“But I still that in saying that, whether he is just playing the game, I still think that a lot of it is getting to his head.”
Silencing the title contender many believe is the cockiest since Conor McGregor challenged Jose Aldo for featherweight gold over seven years ago is something Volkanovski is relishing.
And he believes halting the seemingly unstoppable surge to UFC gold of the Spaniard will be beneficial for the both of them.
He said: “If he wants to be a champion one day or a great champion, he’s going to need me to do what I’m going to do this weekend and then he’s going to thank me for it.”
