UFC 298: Ilia Topuria calls out Conor McGregor after claiming ...

Published 18/02/2024 at 08:26 GMT

The Spaniard ended the reign of one of the promotion’s most dominant champions with a stunning right hand in the second round at Anaheim’s Honda Center.

And after flooring one of the sport’s biggest names, the 27-year-old set his sights on adding another scalp to his growing resume.

“Dana [White], it's showtime, it’s time to take the UFC to Spain,” Topuria said to Joe Rogan.

“And Conor McGregor, if you still have some b****, I will be waiting for you in Spain.”

Topuria came into the fight with Volkanovski with an unblemished 14-0-0 record but was the heavy underdog.

However, he looked comfortable from the first bell and found some success early in the opener with a series of low kicks and right hands.

Vokanovski, 35, had his moments and was awarded the first round on the scorecards of the three judges, but it was Topuria who always felt the more dangerous.

And so it proved as he floored the Australian with a pinpoint right hand in the second round to spark wild scenes of celebration.

“I had to throw a lot of punches and long combinations in this fight and this is what I did,” he added.

“I know my skills [and] I work so hard. I was always knowing one day I would become a UFC world champion.

“I feel so happy right now. They are going to knock you down and doubt you but the only person you need to watch your back in this life is yourself.

"Just trust yourself, work tirelessly and have faith and everything is possible - look at me now!”

The 35-year-old, who had held the featherweight crown since December 2019, praised his opponent for getting the win and expressed his interest in doing the rematch in Spain.

“Obviously that's the power of his hands, we knew we had to be careful of that,” Volkanovski said. “Well done to him.

“He caught me, I was going to start working everything and he got me so credit to him. He’s a hard hitter, we knew that going in. He wasn’t meant to land like that but he did.

“I've been champion of this division for a long time - he keeps mentioning Spain so maybe we'll do the rematch over there.”

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