UFC 298: Ilia Topuria shocks Alexander Volkanovski to win featherweight title

The image included in this blog post is from Getty Images.

Ilia Topuria caused Alexander Volkanovski to lose his first featherweight fight in the UFC after a winning streak of 13 fights.

In Anaheim, California, Ilia Topuria won the featherweight championship title at UFC 298 by delivering a shocking second-round knockout to Alexander Volkanovski.

The champion of the fight between Georgian-Spaniard Topuria and Australia's Volkanovski was won by Topuria, who knocked down his opponent with a powerful right hook. This victory was the first championship for Topuria, who is 27 years old.

Volkanovski's impressive reign as featherweight champion, which saw him successfully defend his title five times over the course of four years, was finally brought to an end by his opponent's victory. Volkanovski, who is now 35 years old, can no longer boast an unbroken title streak.

According to Topuria, people may tell you that it is impossible, but you should have faith in yourself and put in a lot of effort.

The realm of possibility is vast. Observe my present state.

The triumph at the Honda Centre increased Topuria's undefeated streak to 15 matches and showcased his ability as the titleholder that numerous experts had foretold.

During the preliminary bouts, Ian Machado Garry from Ireland emerged victorious with a split decision over Geoff Neal from the United States in the welterweight division.

At the recent fight, Machado Garry, who is 26 years old, showed a calm and collected strategy to out-perform Neal, who is 33 years old, in a match that lasted three rounds. This victory allowed Machado Garry to maintain his unbeaten streak, which now stands at 14 fights.

After the competition ended, it was declared that Brazil's Alex Pereira would preserve his light-heavyweight championship against American Jamahal Hill in the primary match of UFC 300 occurring on 13 April in Las Vegas.

Topuria Proves His Point

Volkanovski attempted to capture Islam Makhachev's lightweight belt in October but was not successful. He is now coming back to the featherweight division.

Volkanovski stepped up to fight on short notice after Charles Oliveira was injured, but unfortunately, he lost the match due to a head kick in the first round.

A lot of experts had discussed if the loss of Volkanovski was a hint that he is already starting to decline as he reaches the later years of his career. Many people consider him as the greatest featherweight UFC fighter ever. Volkanovski, on the other hand, had stated before the fight that he was using the criticisms as his driving force.

In contrast, Topuria joined the competition with a well-known status as one of the fiercest hitters in the weight class.

Before the match, he had confidently shown off his replica championship and even grabbed Volkanovski's belt during a press conference. He predicted that he would win by knockout very early on in the match and did not show any signs of hesitation.

Volkanovski began the bout strongly by staying at a safe distance and repeatedly hitting Topuria with kicks. However, the contestant fought back by demonstrating his strength and executing a powerful leg kick which caused the champion to stumble.

Even though Volkanovski was a bit more active than Topuria, the latter still posed a serious threat due to his strength, and he showed it off impressively during the fourth minute of the second round.

Topuria launched a flurry of punches that made Volkanovski retreat towards the cage. He then hit him with a hook that caused him to collapse.

With an exuberant expression, Topuria lifted his hands to his head to celebrate. He comforted a disappointed Volkanovski before covering himself with the recognizable flags of Georgia and Spain. Finally, he shared the victorious moment with his loved ones.

"I am aware of my abilities. I put in a lot of effort. Deep down, I had a feeling that someday, I would become a champion in UFC," expressed Topuria.

Your origin doesn't make a difference as long as you have a clear direction towards your goal. What lies ahead of you is of greater significance.

The moment has arrived. We need to bring the UFC to Spain. And Conor McGregor, I enthusiastically anticipate your arrival in Spain.

The featured photograph comes courtesy of Getty Images.

Machado Garry achieved his seventh victory in the UFC.

Machado Garry Responds To Critics

Machado Garry entered the competition against Neal after getting better from pneumonia, which stopped him from battling Vicente Luque at UFC 296 in December.

Before the competition, there was a lot of negative attention directed towards Machado Garry on social media. This was due to Sean Strickland, a previous middleweight champion, making harmful comments towards his spouse online.

During the fight week, Machado Garry received a negative reaction from the crowd with them booing at him. This continued as he walked towards the octagon.

Machado Garry announced he was going to turn his critics' feedback into drive, and he proved it during his match against Neal, who's currently ranked eighth in the UFC welterweight division. This match was his hardest challenge so far, with 14 fights under his belt, but he rose to the occasion and gave a fitting reply to his doubters.

During the fight, Machado Garry skillfully kept his distance from Neal by moving around a lot. He had an advantage because he could hit Neal from a farther distance with various types of punches, kicks, and knees.

Despite Neal's continuous efforts and sporadic moments of triumph, he was unable to establish dominance in the fight since Machado Garry neutralized every grappling move he attempted.

Following the brawl, Machado Garry challenged former interim champion Colby Covington from the United States.

Garry Machado stated that he has been mentioning the name of the individual he wishes to encounter during the following occasion. The person in question goes by the name of Colby "Chaos" Covington.

I would like to challenge you, Colby, to a retirement match in the UFC, at any location and whenever you are ready.

"You are not prepared to handle my immense speed and my unbeatable potential. I intend to defeat you convincingly, causing you to feel remorse for every negative remark you have made about me."

Elliott Triumphs In UFC Debut

Oban Elliott, a welterweight boxer from Britain, had a successful beginning to his UFC journey as he defeated Val Woodburn from Jamaica by achieving unanimous decision.

A 26-year-old man from Wales named Elliott secured a contract through Dana White's Contender Series in the previous year. During the fight, he managed to recover from being rocked by an overhand right and proceeded to outperform Woodburn in both striking and grappling for the rest of the match.

Elliott, who has won 10 out of 12 fights in his career, gave credit to former WWE wrestler Ric Flair during his interview after the fight. He repeated Flair's famous line, saying "If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best."

During the co-main event, Robert Whittaker, a former middleweight champion from Australia, won a unanimous decision over Paulo Costa from Brazil. However, Henry Cejudo, a former two-weight champion from America, unfortunately lost his second consecutive fight as he was outscored by Georgia's Merab Dvalishvili in the bantamweight category.