“Vacate the Belt” – Joe Rogan Exposing Ilia Topuria Has Fans Up in Arms While Hopeful for Alexander Volkanovski Title Shot at UFC 305

Joe Rogan revealed Ilia Topuria’s plan for his next fight, which didn’t sit well with the MMA fandom. Topuria dethroned Alexander Volkanovski from his perch atop the 145 lbs division at UFC 298 with a stunning knockout in the second round. Nevertheless, during Rogan’s recent conversation with Max Holloway on the JRE (Joe Rogan Experience) MMA Show no. 155 podcast, the UFC color commentator stated that ‘El Matador’ isn’t keen on giving a rematch to the Australian.

Rogan revealed, “But I guess he feels like he’s the champ, he can call the shots. I know that he turned down the Perth one — [UFC] 305, the Volkanovski rematch.” His remarks highlight the statement Topuria had made on social media where he stated, “I decide who, when, and where.”

The post also contained a dig at recent ‘BMF’ title winner, Max Holloway as Topuria also claimed in the post that he’d only be willing to fight ‘Blessed’ if the BMF title was also on the line. But Holloway slammed him in a response in an interview with Jim Rome, where he stated, “A ‘BMF’ fights whatever, fights whoever, whenever, any weight, any time, and that’s not a tone of a ‘BMF.”

So far, there haven’t been any confirmations regarding Topuria’s first title defense. But with the UFC 305 card set to take place on August 18 in Perth, Australia, many fans have indicated that they would like to see Volkanovski get a crack at revenge against Topuria in his home country. Here’s a look at what the netizens had to say.

Ilia Topuria’s decision for Alexander Volkanovksi gets blasted by fans after Joe Rogan’s revelation

Fans pointed out that Topuria should vacate the title as it doesn’t make sense for him to decide who the next challenger should be. Volkanovski’s 5 successful title defenses before losing the belt to Ilia Topuria were also brought up by the fans as to why he deserves a rematch.

However, a contrasting opinion was also put forth by the fans who claimed that Topuria might be holding out for a UFC event in Spain, and according to them, Holloway should be the one to get a shot at the champion instead of ‘The Great’

Some also pointed out that while the knockout was massive, Volkanovski was an active champion who defended his title and as such, deserves a rematch.

Fans also claimed that Volkanovski didn’t look outmatched in the fight against Ilia Topuria and was having success before getting “caught”. As such, the fans believe that ‘El Matador’ might be concerned about losing the title in an immediate rematch to a motivated Volkanovski who will  be out to avenge his loss

There were shots taken at his nickname as fans pointed out that ‘El Matador’ is trying to dodge the bulls in his division by refusing fights

Some even highlighted how they aren’t fans of the champion and hope to see him receive a reality check in his next outing

The debate continues among MMA enthusiasts as they await Ilia Topuria’s decision for his first title defense, with opinions divided on whether he should grant Alexander Volkanovski a rematch or face another challenger like Max Holloway. What are your thoughts on the situation? Do you think Volkanovski deserves a rematch or is Holloway next in line? Share your thoughts in the comments below!