Alexander Volkanovski picks Ilia Topuria to win UFC 317 main event: 'Ilia can bang'

Yahoo

6 hours ago

The UFC 317 lightweight title tilt between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira has captured the attention of the MMA world, and that includes UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
In April, Volkanovski started his second reign as the 145-pound champion after dropping the title to Topuria in his prior bout in February 2024. The now-former champion Topuria has fully committed to the lightweight ranks, starting with a showdown against the legendary Oliveira, who held the division's strap from 2021 to 2022.
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Having mixed it up with Topuria and seen his skills firsthand, Volkanovski shared his prediction on the fight for the vacant title that headlines the International Fight Week 2025 showcase.
"I've got Ilia," Volkanovski said on Thursday's special edition of "The Ariel Helwani Show." "I think just stylistically and what we've seen, Charles is very aggressive, a very exciting fighter. That's why we all love to watch him. But if he comes aggressive like that, there's going to be opportunities for Ilia. Ilia can bang. If you're going to come forward like that, you might lead yourself, that's always gonna be something. Charles could definitely catch him, but you can be hittable if you come aggressive. Especially with someone like Ilia. He's going to back himself and try to pull one on you as you're coming in like that. Especially if you're a little bit out of position. I wouldn't say his chin's up. He sort of has a guard, and comes in a straight line.
"Ilia can really sit on some shots if that's the case. I know there are going to be knees coming up. Will he be worried about that? Will he want to be defensive first? Ilia knows how aggressive Charles is going to come forward. It's an interesting one. We don't know how Ilia is on the back foot, but will Charles be like his only chance is catching me, I'm gonna shoot? I'm going to tell him I'm going come forward aggressive, but I'm actually gonna shoot on him? We'll see what happens. But if he comes aggressively and does what he always does, I think [Ilia] knocks him out."
The meteoric rise of Topuria began with his knockout win over Volkanovski, and his star grew arguably even bigger when he knocked out another former champion in Max Holloway. After that win, Topuria declared that the weight cuts were too much, which immediately raised the potential for a superfight against Islam Makhachev.
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However, the then-lightweight champion Makhachev ultimately followed a similar blueprint as Topuria, vacating his title in pursuit of the welterweight crown later this year. Before his Topuria loss, Volkanovski went to war twice with Makhachev, performing valiantly only to come up short each time.
Volkanovski, 36, had anticipated this eventuality regarding Makhachev. It all hinged on the last welterweight title bout between Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena. If Muhammad had retained the title against Della Maddalena, Makhachev would stay at lightweight rather than challenge his friend. Ultimately, Della Maddalena scored the upset via unanimous decision this past May.
"I'm not surprised," Volkanovski said of Makhachev leaving lightweight. "I think just with the way it was all happening, and the fact that they're waiting, I was like, 'Ah, they're obviously waiting for JDM and Belal.' So you could see that's what they were waiting for. Then JDM got him, and you knew that was it. ... I thought that from the start."
Volkanovski has teased the idea of returning to lightweight himself at some point. But for now, his focus is on once again holding down the fort at 145 pounds. It's just a matter of who he'll face next now that contender bouts have been announced in recent weeks.
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One fight in particular that caught Volkanovski by surprise was the pairing of top contender Movsar Evloev and UFC newcomer Aaron Pico, which will take place at UFC Abu Dhabi next month. Undefeated in 19 fights, Evloev has been the next challenger that the champion had his eye on even before he regained the title.
"I'm not scared of anyone, whoever they put in front of me, I'm going to fight, but I do like fighting people that deserve it," Volkanovski said. "That's just how I am, and how I've always been, and that's why I feel the most exciting fight for me would be Movsar. Stylistically, I think it's great for me anyway, but not just that, it's he deserves it. He's undefeated, 19-0, he's got the best resume in the top five right now anyway, and so it just makes the most sense on those side of things.
"I get it. They're probably making him fight one more time and hoping he gets a finish and whatnot. But I think after this fight, the winner of that, I don't know. You reckon Pico is going to get it? I know if Movsar was to win, or if he gets a finish, it's going to be 100% Movsar. If Pico wins, does he go straight to the title? I don't know. Whoever it is."
Volkanovski's last opponent, Diego Lopes, also booked his next fight, as he'll collide with the surging Jean Silva in Noche UFC's main event in September. That leaves Yair Rodriguez as perhaps the likeliest challenger at present, since he's the lone contender left out of the featherweight matchmaking equations.
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Volkanovski ideally wants to get back in action around September, but is awaiting the birth of his next child, making a definite commitment hard to pinpoint. Regardless, he likes the idea of a fight in September or October, if not beyond. Whether that means a rematch with Rodriguez or not, Volkanovski can't say.
"That's what I started thinking for a bit," Volkanovski said. "I've been mentally preparing for Yair because, as I said straight after the [Lopes] fight, when everyone started mentioning that to me, I wasn't aware that that could be an opportunity. I was always thinking it was gonna be Movsar or maybe [Patricio] Pitbull. I just thought it was more like that.
"I ain't going to be the one to say no if the UFC put it forward. So it looks like that might be what it was. The Mexico card, then the stadium fell through, so now I don't know exactly what's going on."