Not Great? Topuria Predicts First-Round Finish

Ilia Topuria is the greatest of all time. Just ask him, he’ll tell you.

“El Matador” will have to prove it when he challenges reigning featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski in the UFC 298 pay-per-view (PPV) main event in February, though a location has yet to be announced by the promotion (Topuria is hinting at Los Angeles).

“The fifteenth rose,” Topuria wrote on social media. “My prediction is a first round finish, what’s yours?”

I’m assuming Topuria is referring to his 14-0 record, meaning a victory over Volkanovski will equate to his fifteenth victim and a “matador” is both a bullfighter and a rose.

Roses also get delivered to loved ones on Valentine’s Day so maybe I’m misinterpreting his artsy-fartsy video promo.

Either way, Barney Gumble did it better (so did Bugs Bunny).

Topuria, 26, kept his undefeated streak intact by beating the brakes off featherweight bruiser Josh Emmett at UFC on ABC 5 last June. Taking on the pound-for-pound “Great” will undoubtedly prove to be the biggest test of “El Matador’s” combat sports career.

The 26-3 Volkanovski, 35, is coming off a shocking, first-round knockout loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 just last month. The Aussie will abandon his lightweight goals (for now) to silence his many doubters (yes, they exist) by shutting down Topuria.

For more on the upcoming UFC 298 event click here.