"I will knock you out in the first round" - "Old" Alexander Volkanovski told to "retire" by Ilia Topuria in heated clapback

Ilia Topuira has hit back at Alexander Volkanovski by boldly stating he will finish the UFC featherweight champion in the first round.

Volkanovski and Topuria are set to face off at UFC 298 on Feb. 17 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Their bout marks a return to the 145-pound division for 'Alexander the Great', who recently suffered a devasting head kick KO loss in his rematch against Islam Makhachev.

For Topuria, the 26-year-old extended his undefeated record to 14-0 (5-0 in the UFC) when he defeated Josh Emmett via unanimous decision last June.

Ahead of their bout, Topuira has fired a lot of trash talk at the Australian, as he believes it is now his time to become champion.

Recently, 'El Matador' took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond to comments Volkanovski made on his YouTube channel. 'The Great' said:

"I still feel like I'm in my prime, and I get to show this young kid that there's levels, and I am the king of this division and he ain't taking nothing from me. I'm coming for that zero." [h/t SI]

In response, Topuria promised to finish Volkanovski, tweeting:

"If you think someone can imitate me, that means that your last fight has left you with lasting effects! I will knock you out in the first round. You're old, it's time to retire. It is time to move on and make way for the new era of Topuria."

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Urijah Faber breaks down Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria

Former UFC featherweight Urijah Faber has identified what he believes could be Ilia Topuria's method of victory against Alexander Volkanovski.

Heading into their bout at UFC 298, neither Volkanovski nor Topuria have tasted defeat in the UFC's featherweight division. Whilst many consider the champion to be one of the greatest to ever do it, there is a feeling among some fans that 'El Matador' may have the tools to dethrone the Australian.

Speaking to The Schmo, Faber stated that Topuria must get the upper hand in the grappling exchanges should he want any chance of winning the title. He said:

“He’s just got to get really good at defending the takedowns. I think Alexander Volkanovski’s real strength is obviously, durability, which as age goes, it goes away a little bit. But he’s gonna have a grappling advantage so he’s got to find a way not to get pushed up against the cage, not to get taken down and also has to be aware of the offense on the feet. So, you know, being elusive and having great footwork.”

Catch Faber's comments here (4:20):