Last week at the Etihad Arena, UFC featherweight king Ilia Topuria silenced his critics by sending former champion Max Holloway to the canvas with a lethal left hook, proving once again why he remains undefeated. The Spanish-Georgian lived up to his reputation on this blockbuster fight card as a complete MMA combatant. However, this victory marks only the beginning of his title defense journey, as his greatest challenge may lie ahead: a rematch showdown with Alexander Volkanovski.

‘The Great’, once a dominant force at 145lbs, briefly ventured to lightweight to face Islam Makhachev. Unfortunately, this move didn’t go as planned, with Volkanovski eventually losing the Dagestani and then his featherweight title to Ilia Topuria earlier this year. Now, with a fresh mindset, the Aussie native is rumored to be preparing for a rematch with ‘El Matador’. Speculation about this rematch gained traction after UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi and even became a topic of discussion on the latest Joe Rogan Experience podcast.

Joe Rogan dismisses the popular narrative on Ilia Topuria vs. Alexander Volkanovski 2.0

In JRE #2220, Joe Rogan was joined by guest writer and stand-up comedian Francis Foster, along with Konstantin Kisin. Their political conversation became entangled in the MMA realm as Kisin highlighted the matchup between Ilia Topuria and Alexander Volkanovski as a ‘power versus speed‘ battle, given Volk’s quickness.

When Kisin remarked, “Am I right in thinking it’s power versus speed? ‘Cause Volkanovski is so fast, so quick,” Joe Rogan was quick to clarify, responding, “Ilia is fast too, man; there’s no difference in speed.” Surprised, Kisin asked, “Really?” Rogan elaborated further, “No, I don’t think so. When you’re loading up, you’re not going to hit as fast. But Ilia is fast as hell; he’s not slow at all.”

Since his arrival in the UFC four years ago, Ilia Topuria has quickly become a major headache for other featherweight contenders, taking down nearly everyone in his path with his one-shot evaporators. In his last seven fights, he’s defeated five opponents brutally, showcasing an overall skill set that has critics calling him the next Conor McGregor and the new face of the UFC.

This impressive streak even led Joe Rogan to label the featherweight top dog as potentially the best pound-for-pound fighter, a claim that could send alarm bells ringing for Islam Makhachev and certainly raise concerns for UFC head honcho Dana White.

Joe Rogan challenges Dana White’s Pound-for-Pound claims

UFC boss Dana White has been in the spotlight this year for challenging the official list of UFC pound-for-pound rankings, where the #1 spot has been given to Islam Makhachev. White’s favorite fighter, Jon Jones stands tall at #3, which has resulted in an ongoing frustration for him. He repeatedly criticizes the list, claiming it’s “the most f***ing ridiculous, embarrassing, stupid” ranking, despite ‘Bones’ not being active in the past 500 days.

Recently, Joe Rogan challenged White on this issue, suggesting that Ilia Topuria should be in the top position during his latest podcast episode (#2220). Rogan stated, “That’s why I say he’s the new high-water mark. There are people who are thinking maybe he’s the best pound-for-pound fighter alive. There’s a lot of discussion about that online.”

Rogan continued, “It’s a little premature, especially when Jon Jones is still out there and there are other elite guys that are still out there. But Islam Makhachev is another one, you know? Like, there’s a real argument that he’s the best pound-for-pound guy alive, but it’s close. Ilia might be the best.”

What are your thoughts on Joe Rogan’s remarks? Do you think Ilia Topuria, recognized for his striking power, also has the speed that could pose significant challenges for his UFC opponents in the lightweight division? Drop your opinion below.