Volkanovski says Ilia Topuria should win 'Fighter of the Year' award if he beats Max Holloway

Alexander Volkanovsky (left) believes in the potential of Ilia Topuria (right) Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

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In February of this year, Ilia Topuria won the featherweight title (up to 65,7 kg) after knocking out Alexander Volkanovsky in the second round in the fight for UFC 298. Even so, the Australian does not seem to hold any resentment for the defeat suffered by 'El Matador'. According to Volkanovski, if the executioner wins Max Holloway next Saturday (26), in his first belt defense against Max Holloway, he deserves to win the title of 'Fighter of the Year'.

“If Ilia goes out there and does what he has to do, that’s pretty impressive, beating me and Max… He would be up there as fighter of the year. He may not be as active as some of the other guys, but the competition is (better),” Volkanovski explained in an interview with journalist 'Kevin Iole'.

Volkanovski hopes to face the winner of the Topuria-Holloway fight sometime in 2025. In a perfect scenario, the Australian would dream of facing either of the two in the UFC 312, announced last week to take place in Sydney, Australia, in February next year.

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“You’ve got Ilia and Max fighting next weekend, I’ll be there watching and keeping a close eye on that, obviously. Maybe get into a face-off, we’ll see what happens with the winner. But hopefully (I’ll be) fighting the winner here in Sydney, right? That’s definitely what we want, just depending on what happens (with the title),” Volkanovski concluded.

Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway

The two featherweight fighters face off in the main event of the UFC 308, which takes place this Saturday (26) from 11 am with the start of the preliminary card. Ilia Topuria makes his first belt defense and remains undefeated in the UFC.

Your opponent, Max Holloway is the current holder of the symbolic UFC BMF belt. With a 'tough' style, the American has a record of 26 wins and 7 losses. He has won three consecutive fights for the organization.