Joe Rogan Is Concerned for Alexander Volkanovski’s Health After Ilia Topuria’s Violent Featherweight Run

Alexander Volkanovski will defend his featherweight title for the sixth time at UFC 298. Having lost his last outing in a fight at lightweight, he would be hoping to continue his dominance in the 145-pound division upon return. However, Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier do not think that his next fight will be a cakewalk for the Australian ace, as he will square off against the undefeated Ilia Topuria.

Ilia Topuria has built a stellar reputation as a credible featherweight contender after arriving at the UFC. The Georgian-Spanish fighter has amassed a 6-0 record in Dana White‘s promotion, following which he became the no.1 contender. Keeping this in mind, Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier believe Topuria could surprise Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298.

Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier believe Ilia Topuria poses a threat to Alexander Volkanovski

During the #150 episode of the ‘JRE MMA Show’, Daniel Cormier, who appeared as the guest, talked to Joe Rogan about Alexander Volknovski’s loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 294. They both agreed that taking the fight on 10 days’ notice was not a wise decision from ‘The Great’. But Cormier argued that fans and other MMA figures believed Volkanovski had the chance because of his past performance against Makhachev.

“The only reason anyone thought he had an opportunity [against Makhachev] was because of how great he is, right? If he wasn’t so great, nobody would have ever thought he had a chance,” said Daniel Cormier. He further went on to add that the expectation people had of Volkanovski for the Ilia Topuria fight could prove to be a problem for the Australian, just like his last fight.

Cormier added, “I worry that because of his greatness, we’re gonna believe that… he’s going to fight [Ilia] Topuria and you almost expect the same thing.” This led Joe Rogan to chime in and add that despite what happened with Islam Makhachev at UFC 294, Ilia Topuria is no pushover. ‘El Matador’ has proved how dangerous he can be inside the Octagon in all of his UFC fights.

“Even if he wasn’t compromised, even if he did not fight Islam [Makhachev], Topuria is a nightmare… he’s scary,” said Joe Rogan as he emphasized the threat ‘El Matador’ posed to Alexander Volkanovski. Additionally, Joe Rogan also mentioned some of Topuria’s fights that left him speechless.

The JRE host was lost for words with some of Topuria’s performances

Ilia Topuria has proved himself to be one of the most dangerous strikers in the UFC and Joe Rogan vouched for that. He mentioned that he could not believe what the undefeated fighter did to Josh Emmett and Bryce Mitchell, whom he dominated utterly. The 56-year-old further stated, “What he did to Josh Emmett… What he did to Bryce Mitchell, [I was] like, ‘Oh, man.'”

Not only that, Daniel Cormier has also observed how skillful Ilia Topuria is as he mentioned the Georgian-Spanish fighter’s strengths. “He’s so good, he’s so skilled and he’s got great boxing, got great takedown,” the Hall of Famer added. Hence, the UFC 298 headliner, for Rogan and Cormier, seems like an evenly matched fight.

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For many fans and MMA experts, Alexander Volkanovski may have found a credible opponent for a championship fight after a while. Nevertheless, the Australian has remained at the top of the 145-pound division ever since he won the title in 2019. It remains to be seen if Volkanovski can humble Ilia Topuria, like he is planning to do, or if the latter fulfills his self-proclaimed destiny of becoming a UFC champion.

Read More: UFC 298: Joe Rogan Returns to PPV Commentary With Jon Anik While DC Gets Replaced; Fans React to Volkanovski vs. Topuria Panel- ‘Bald Goat’