Ilia Topuria’s bold decision to vacate his featherweight title and move up to the lightweight division has created a huge buzz around his next fight. The most obvious fight for Ilia Topuria is going to be against Islam Makhachev, the current lightweight champion. And if the fight takes place, Alexander Volkanovski knows what side he’ll be on.
During a recent conversation with Demetrious Johnson on his podcast, Volk was asked how that fight would go. Volk is probably the most accurate person to tackle this question as he has fought both of them in the last two years.
In fact, his last fight was against Topuria at UFC 298 for the featherweight title, which Volk lost. The fight before that, he went against Islam for the second time at UFC 294 and lost. Volk also lost his first fight against Makhachev at UFC 284 for the lightweight championship. So, his assessment of the two fighters is likely going to be better than anyone else’s.
Volk said, “It just comes to: Can Ilia catch him? And he definitely can.” The Great is confident that Topuria will find open spaces to find Makhachev’s chin. However, one can’t be totally dismissive of the current LW champion’s abilities.
He said, “I think Islam is gonna be a tough matchup for him. Because Islam can be quite defensive and safe. I think he’s gonna know he needs to play it safe with Ilia cause he knows Ilia is gonna have the puncher’s chance. I just think the later rounds is gonna be very difficult for Ilia.”
Alexander Volkanovski favors Ilia Topuria slightly over Islam Makhachev 😲👀
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) March 26, 2025
"It all comes down to: Can Ilia catch him? He knows he'll eventually find the chin. He can knock out anyone in the lightweight division. I'm going with what I know—and I know Ilia can hit hard. I’ve… pic.twitter.com/AIqj6PRIbT
Even with a potentially close fight on the card, Volk’s decision leans toward Topuria. He knows that El Matador can knock out anyone in the division.
Alexander Volkanovski has experienced power of Ilia Topuria firsthand
It’s been over a year since Volk fought Ilia Topuria. He has since kept his fans waiting for another fight announcement. In the meantime, he is providing important insights into potential matchups like the one with Topuria and Makhachev. Volk said that he has been at the receiving end of Topuria’s power and would advise anyone not to take him lightly.
When they last fought, Topuria finished him up in the second round with 3:32 on the clock. A knockout win over an opponent of Volk’s caliber helped rise Topuria’s stock in the business. Volk, on the other hand, still has fresh memories of the fight.
He said, “If he [Ilia Topuria] puts hands on anyone, if he traps them, gets them where they don’t wanna be and lands a nice big shot, its gonna be game-over. He can knock out anyone, even in the lightweight division. I’m going with what I know, and I know Ilia can hit hard. I’ve felt it firsthand.”
Right before UFC London, Dana White had said that he would need a few more weeks to officially come out with an announcement for Topuria. Many believe that Makhachev is going to be his opponent, who last fought in January this year against Renato Moicano.
