This is a title fight, in which Volkanovski will try to defend his UFC Featherweight belt.
Moneyline Odds
Alex Volkanovski – 120
Ilia Topuria – 110
*Odds taken from Sports Odds Direct on Thursday, February 15.
When, Where, and How to Watch?
Place: Honda Center, Anaheim (Los Angeles), California
Date: Saturday, February 17, 2023
Time: 11:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: PPV
Alex Volkanovski is the reigning UFC Featherweight champion, but last year, he wanted to become the UFC Lightweight champ as well. He fought against Islam Makhachev for the title on two occasions. In their first duel, he lost after five rounds of intense fighting. In the rematch, however, he got knocked out.
It was his first-ever knockout loss, but the Aussie fighter has an explanation for why it happened. First, he accepted the fight on very short notice, with just a couple of weeks to prepare. Not only that, but according to Volk, he was drinking and partying for weeks before the fight.
Now, four months after the loss, he’s coming back to the featherweight division. That’s where he’s been undefeated since 2013 when he lost by technical knockout in what was only his fourth professional fight.
Ilia Topuria is reportedly filming a documentary about his road to the UFC Featherweight title. That’s how confident this guy is that he’ll win on Saturday. El Matador has every right to be cocky, though. After all, he’s undefeated in his professional career with a 14-0 record.
However, he’s never fought against such a good fighter as Volkanovski. In fact, he’s only fought two ranked fighters – Josh Emmett and Bryce Mithcell.
Still, judging by what we’ve seen from this guy so far, he’s got a bright future in the UFC. The 27-year-old is a hell of a striker, with some MMA pundits hailing Topuria as the best boxer in the division.
He’s also great when it comes to wrestling, and his BJJ skills have helped him beat eight opponents by submission.
These two are similar fighters. Both are great when it comes to striking and are incredibly tough, not caring about getting hit. They also excel in terms of wrestling and grappling. The only major difference between the two is that Volkanovski has way more experience with fighting at an elite level.
He’s been the UFC Featherweight champion since 2019, defending his title against Max Holloway, Brian Ortega, The Korean Zombie, and Yair Rodriguez.
