Alexander Volkanovski wants UFC to keep top contenders away from Ilia Topuria

LAS VEGAS – Alexander Volkanovski wants to be the man to take the unbeaten record from rising contender Ilia Topuria.

The UFC featherweight champion is interested in a fight with Topuiria, but he’s not too certain he’ll cross paths with him, as he doesn’t have much faith in Topuria staying unbeaten much longer. That’s why Volkanovski (25-2 MMA, 12-1 UFC) asked the UFC to keep top contenders away from Topuria until after he gets his hands on him.

“I think you all are hyping him up, a lot of people are asking me about him,” Volkanovski said at Wednesday’s UFC 290 media day. “So yeah, keep top contenders away from him because I might not be facing him. You guys saying he’s the guy, cool, let’s keep him away from everyone. If he’s going to get a whooping, let’s make it from me.”

Volkanovski returns this weekend in the main event of UFC 290, where he takes on Mexico’s Yair Rodriguez (16-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in a title unification bout. Rodriguez currently holds the interim featherweight title.

Volkanovski wants to keep his focus on Rodriguez, but is sure interested in fighting Topuria in the future. So far, the Australian is not too impressed with what he’s seen from Topuria.

“I wasn’t that impressed, you guys were,” Volkanovski said. “But I’m glad that everyone was impressed because that will just hype up a future fight. I have more of a threat in front of me this weekend. If Ilia wants that smoke, I know it’s going to be good because he likes to talk that trash, which is fun. Punching people in the face that talk trash is so much better.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 290.