Alexander Volkanovski defeated by Ilia Topuria as he relinquishes featherweight title at UFC 298

Unbeaten Ilia Topuria has stopped Alexander Volkanovski within the second spherical to assert the featherweight title at UFC 298 in Los Angeles, ending the Australian champion’s four-year reign.

Topuria, a Georgian who lives and trains in Spain, managed the primary spherical of his first UFC title battle with sharp hanging earlier than he sensationally completed off Volkanovski with extra of the identical.

Topuria staggered 35-year-old Volkanovski to the cage with a left-right mixture and put him on the canvas with an ideal proper hand adopted by a giant left.

He completed the surprised Volkanovski on the bottom with 1:28 left, enhancing to a 7-0 win-loss report since becoming a member of the UFC in late 2020.

“I really feel so completely happy proper now,” Topuria mentioned.

“They advised me I could not do it. … Simply belief your self, and something is feasible. Simply take a look at me now.”

Volkanovski (26-4) had made 5 consecutive profitable title defences since successful his belt in late 2019, however his reign ended together with his first featherweight loss in UFC competitors.

He additionally misplaced twice prior to now 12 months to light-weight champion Islam Makhachev in a failed bid to change into a two-division champion.

Humble in defeat, Volkanovski praised Topuria after the bout however mentioned he wished a rematch.

Topuria completely seized a second a number of years within the making. He had stormed to the highest of the checklist contenders for Volkanovski’s belt with six consecutive UFC victories in lower than three years, capped by a blowout determination over Josh Emmett.

Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg walked out with Volkanovski and wore his cornermen’s gear in his front-row seat.

Australia’s former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker gained a unanimous determination over Paulo Costa within the penultimate bout of the UFC’s first pay-per-view present in Southern California in additional than two years.

Whittaker (25-7) rebounded from a loss to future middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis final 12 months with a comeback victory over Costa (14-3).

AP