Islam Makhachev has responded to Alexander Volkanovski’s defeat to Ilia Topuria.
Volkanovski and Topuria clashed in the octagon at UFC 298 in a highly anticipated UFC featherweight title bout. Despite Volkanovski being the slight favorite, his fate mirrored his previous octagon outing.
In the first round, both fighters landed significant shots, making it challenging to distinguish between them. However, in the second round, Topuria maintained pressure on Volkanovski, landing a powerful overhand right at the end of a four-punch combo, resulting in a knockout victory.
Reacting to Volkanovski’s loss, Makhachev, his former opponent, offered words of encouragement.
Having faced ‘The Great’ twice and inflicting his first KO defeat, the UFC lightweight champion praised Volkanovski for his greatness, saying:
“Alex is undeniably one of the greatest champions in the FW division. Keep your head up and come back strong! Congrats to new champ Topuria, well done!” With consecutive stoppage defeats, first by Makhachev in October last year and now against Topuria, Volkanovski’s future in MMA remains uncertain.
