Yair Rodriguez holds a strong belief that Ilia Topuria simply can’t afford to lose against UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
Topuria, who boasts an impressive undefeated record of 14-0 in MMA and 6-0 in the UFC, steps up to challenge Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) in the headline bout of UFC 298, set to take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., this Saturday. Topuria’s outspoken demeanor hasn’t sat well with Rodriguez.
The undefeated contender has boldly stated that if he were to unseat Volkanovski, he wouldn’t defend his title against Rodriguez, Max Holloway, or Brian Ortega. Instead, he’s eyeing names like Conor McGregor, a notion that Rodriguez finds utterly delusional.
“He’ll talk trash about anyone,” Rodriguez remarked on “The MMA Hour.” “He’s mentioning Canelo (Alvarez), he’s mentioning (Conor) McGregor. Why do you think he’s doing that? Because he’s marketing. He’ll never get to face somebody like McGregor. He’ll never get to face somebody like Canelo. Of course not.”
Given Topuria’s bold predictions, including his forecast of a first-round knockout, Rodriguez believes a loss would severely tarnish his image.
“His career will be over after this fight against Volkanovski,” Rodriguez asserted. “He’s been talking so much trash, saying so many things, and people are going to be laughing at him after this.”
Rodriguez (16-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) is set to square off against Ortega (15-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in a co-headlining bout at UFC Fight Night on February 24 in Mexico City. While Rodriguez predicts a victory for Volkanovski, he maintains a neutral stance, expressing no particular rooting interest.
“I’m like neutral, you know? Whomever wins, wins, whatever,” Rodriguez stated. “But I don’t really see Topuria winning. That’s my honest opinion.”
Even in the event of a loss for Topuria, Rodriguez doesn’t plan to immediately advocate for a matchup. Nonetheless, he’s eager to face him down the line.
“If I win my fight against Brian Ortega, which I’m planning on doing, and Alexander Volkanovski wins, I would like to face Volkanovski, of course,” Rodriguez expressed. “Because why would I face (Topuria coming off a loss)? Like, he has nothing to offer. But anyway, I would like to face him at some point. I would like to mess him up. Especially if UFC plans and goes to Spain, man, I’ll fight in Spain because it’s his home turf. I would love to beat him there. I respect everybody but this guy.”
