Alexander Volkanovski, the UFC featherweight champion, has been playing up his age leading up to UFC 298 in Anaheim, Calif. Despite only being 35 years old, Volkanovski has been dressing like a grandpa, sporting old-man glasses, and even pretending to fall asleep at press conferences. This playful approach has brought attention to the fact that no male fighter at lightweight or below has ever won a title fight after the age of 35.
In the main event of UFC 298, Volkanovski will be defending his title against the young and exciting Ilia Topuria, who is just 27 years old. The question on everyone’s mind is whether Volkanovski can defy the odds and become the exception to the 35-year-old rule in the featherweight division, or if he will pass the torch to the up-and-coming Topuria.
According to ESPN, Volkanovski is currently ranked No. 3 in the world on the pound-for-pound list and holds the top spot in the featherweight division, with Topuria trailing behind at No. 5. Volkanovski has an impressive record of five successful featherweight title defenses and six UFC featherweight title wins, the second most in history. However, he is coming off a loss to UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in his last fight.
On the other hand, Ilia Topuria has been making a name for himself in the MMA world with an undefeated record of 14-0. He has won all six of his UFC fights, with four of them ending in finishes. Topuria, who hails from Germany but trains in Spain, is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Josh Emmett in his last outing. This young fighter poses a significant challenge to Volkanovski’s reign as champion.
In the co-main event of UFC 298, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker will face off against former title challenger Paulo Costa. ESPN ranks Whittaker at No. 3 in the world in the middleweight division. The fight card is stacked with exciting matchups, including Geoff Neal vs. Ian Machado Garry in the welterweight division and Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo in the men’s bantamweight division.
As fight night approaches, all eyes will be on Alexander Volkanovski as he steps into the Octagon to defend his title against Ilia Topuria. Can the 35-year-old champion make history and solidify his legacy, or will the young phenom emerge victorious and usher in a new era in the featherweight division? Only time will tell.
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