This past Saturday night in the main event of UFC 298, the featherweight title was on the line. Alexander Volkanovski (26-4) was looking to keep his throne atop the featherweight kingdom while Ilia Topuria (15-0) was looking to prove that there was a new king that would be taking over.
The first round was extremely competitive between the two men. You really saw just how good both of them were. Topuria plotted forward and showed flashes of his incredible power and speed. However, Volkanovski did a very good job of fighting off the back foot and using his kicks to disrupt the flow of Topuria.
Volk’s defense looked great and he was landing most of the kicks that he was throwing throughout. All three judges gave the first round to Volkanovski. In the second, it was much of the same, but we saw Volkanovski have even more success up top. Topuria was coming close with big shots, but it looked like another Volkanovski round as it was playing out.
That was until it all ended so suddenly. With a blitz combination, Topuria had Volkanovski against the fence. At the end of the combination, Topuria unleashed a hellish right hand that put Volkanovski out cold crowning a new king of the UFC’s featherweight division.
What’s next after UFC 298?
This was a brutal loss for Alexander Volkanovski. After years of reigning the featherweight division, his reign finally came to an end in brutal fashion. What makes it even worse is the fact that Volkanovski had just been knocked out by Islam Makhachev in their lightweight title rematch in October.
So, this is two straight knockout losses for the now former featherweight champion. Alexander Volkanovski entered 2023 with an astonishing 25-1 professional record. He’s now 1-3 in his last four fights and he’s been knocked out in back-to-back fights. At 35-years-old, one has to wonder if it’s all downhill from here for the former champion.
That said, what should be next for him? Well, considering the fact that in the opinion of most he’s the greatest featherweight of all time and he’s been a sensational company guy, I think the UFC will grant him an immediate rematch. He’s going to be a big underdog when he gets that rematch, but if anyone is able to pull it off, it’s Alexander Volkanovski.