Ilia Topuria expresses his honest feelings about Alexander Volkanovski becoming UFC featherweight king again, fans react: "Volk is the man"

Fans gave mixed reactions as Ilia Topuria expressed his feelings about Alexander Volkanovski recapturing the featherweight title. Topuria ended Volkanovski's first title run with a devastating second-round knockout in February 2024.

Following the Georgian-Spaniard's move up to lightweight, Volkanovski faced Diego Lopes in a vacant title fight at UFC 314 on April 12, winning by unanimous decision to become a two-time featherweight champion.

During his recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Topuria praised Volkanovski, stating:

"He's so great. I was so happy for him this Saturday because he really deserved to get that title back."

When asked if it bothers him to see someone win the title that previously belonged to him, Topuria responded:

"No, I'm good. I'm happy for him. I won, I defended. But right now, I have completely different challenges in front of me. I wish him nothing but best to him and everyone. I wish the best wins all the time."

Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below (via Championship Rounds' post on X):

Fans took to the comments section to share their thoughts on Topuria's statement. While some praised Topuria for showing respect for his former rival, others questioned the legitimacy of his emotions.

One fan wrote:

"First time really seeing Ilia be nice to a fighter, I feel like. Volk is the man."

Another fan commented:

"Every fighter respects Volk. Volk is every fighter's favourite fighter."

Check out more fan reactions below:

Fan reactions

Although Topuria used promotional tactics and trash talk to promote his UFC 298 fight against Volkanovski, he has consistently praised the veteran fighter and acknowledged his competitive achievements.

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Alexander Volkanovski laid out a path for a potential rematch against Ilia Topuria

Alexander Volkanovski actively campaigned for a rematch against Ilia Topuria as long as the Georgian-Spaniard held the featherweight title. With 'La Leyenda's' move up to lightweight, the likelihood of that fight taking place had significantly diminished.

However, speaking at the UFC 314 Media Day heading into his recent fight, Volkanovski outlined a potential path to a rematch against Topuria, stating:

"I obviously still want that fight back. But let him do his thing, he's committed to [winning the second title at lightweight]. Let him do that, I plan on being the active defending champion that I said, once he's done with his fight, if he wins the belt, imagine us running it back - both champions after me having this little title reign like I'm expecting to have a couple of fights by the time he fights... So you can imagine how big the rematch could be."

Check out Alexander Volkanovski's comments below (12:37):