Alexander Volkanovski Vows to Give Ilia Topuria a Lesson in Humility at UFC 298

Alexander Volkanovski is eager to remind the world of his greatness when he defends the featherweight strap against Ilia Topuria at UFC 298.

Volkanovski will look to return to the win column against Topuria on Feb.17 after his second failed bid at earning double-champ status against lightweight king Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 in October. “The Great” stepped up on short notice as a replacement for Charles Oliveira and went on to suffer a brutal Round 1 head-kick knockout loss.

Volkanovski was on a collision course with Topuria before stepping up for the double-champ bid. In the meantime, the undefeated Spanish standout opted to wait for his title shot. “El Matador” even uploaded a theatrical video implying he will maintain his undefeated record against Volkanovski.

Volkanovski believes his last loss against Makhachev is being perceived as a sign of weakness by some, and the Australian icon wants to shut them up. “The Great” discussed that perceived vulnerability in an an appearance on ”Who The Fook Are These Guys” podcast.

“… Hey, one day I might be a little vulnerable,” Volkanovski said. “You might see me there covering my face at that one point, but the next week, I’m the baddest man on the planet. You remember that, and some people need to be reminded. The beautiful thing is I get to remind them not too far away.”

Volkanovski also believes Topuria is in for an embarrassing lesson in humility when they trade leather in the main event at UFC 298. The champ believes that might be good for the Spaniard in the long run.

“This guy thinks he’s the man,” Volkanovski said. “It’s funny. For me, I’ve always wanted to earn my stripes. Earn these positions, put myself in there, and earn that respect. This guy’s just getting things given to him and probably not even that much, but he thinks he’s the man. The beautiful thing about it is I get to teach a kid a lesson.

“Ready to go out there, I’m hoping to teach him a lesson, humble him a little bit, and still let him wake up to himself and then he can bounce back when my time’s done. He needs a bit of humbling — 26, perfect age. He needs the world to see. He maybe needs a bit of embarrassment and snap things into gear and maybe he can one day be a great champion. Right now, he wants to act like how he’s acting, I’m just gonna teach him a lesson. I’m gonna embarrass him. He’s young enough to bounce back in a positive way. I’ll play teacher the next few months.”