ANAHEIM, Calif. – Ilia Topuria can’t seem to keep his hands off Alexander Volkanovski’s title belt ahead of their UFC 298 clash.
After he posed with the UFC featherweight title earlier in the week, Topuria (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) did it again, this time during the pre-fight news conference with a live audience of screaming fans at Honda Center.
Topuria’s decision to snatch the belt, which was propped up in front of Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC), came late in the news conference after several exchanges with “Old Man Volk.”
The hijacking seemed to snap Volkanovski out of his old man character, as the champion sternly warned Topuria.
“Like I said, you may as well take advantage of it now,” Volkanovski said. “You’re never going to see at again, not until I teach you a lesson. Maybe one day you can be a great champion. I’m going to kick your ass first. You’ll learn your lesson. Maybe you can bounce back after that. But until then, get your hands off my belt.”
Watch the moment from the pre-fight news conference in the video above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.