Michael Chandler hoped to see Alexander Volkanovski leave Anaheim with the UFC featherweight world title still wrapped around his waist.
On Saturday, February 17, Georgia native Ilia Topuria shocked the world with a stunning second-round knockout of ‘The Great’ in their UFC 298 headliner to capture the 145-pound crown.
ILIA TOPURIA KNOCKED ALEXANDER VOLKANOVSKI OUT COLD pic.twitter.com/zvGldhWxCy
— Stream Highlights Clips (@selfemprovement) February 18, 2024
Chandler, who was in attendance at the event, had a front-row seat for the highlight-reel finish and offered his reaction while speaking with Ariel Helwani on a recent episode of The MMA Hour.
“He’s undefeated. He’s salty. He’s young, but he’s not that young,” Chandler said. “He’s 27 so he’s getting into that realm of firing on all cylinders. I was there that night. I was cageside watching it. I was honestly pulling for Volk. If you don’t like Alexander Volkanovski, I don’t know if you can be an MMA fan. He’s one of the most beloved in the sport of mixed martial arts. I love him. Everybody loves him.
“The way he was able to go out there and get the KO, Ilia Topuria is legit, but he’s not fighting Conor next in Spain, but say the guy’s name and maybe you’ll get him after I dispatch him.”
Topuria called for a clash with Conor McGregor both before and after his title-winning performance in The Golden State. Clearly, ‘El Matador’ is going to have to get in line behind Michael Chandler if he ever hopes to share the Octagon with the Irish megastar.
Michael Chandler Believes Volkanovski’s Loss to Islam Makhachev in October Could Have Played a Role in His UFC 298 Defeat
Asked whether or not he believes Volkanovski’s first-round knockout loss to Islam Makhachev in October played a role in his performance at UFC 298, Chandler said:
“I never want to strengthen the narrative of someone maybe making a bad decision, but it would maybe lend itself to that. Volk coming out and taking that fight on short notice and then fighting four months after which means you’re right back into a training camp. Back sparring and taking blows to the head a month and a half to two months later. It’s not the right recipe — pretty much the exact opposite of what I’ve done.
“You can look at that and say Volk might have had a different outcome [against Topuria] had he not gone right back into a training camp.”
Volkanovski’s loss to Topuria was his first defeat in the UFC’s featherweight division. However, ‘The Great’ has now lost three of his last four leading many to speculate that the former No. 1 ranked P4P fighter in the world may have lost a step.
Watch Chandler’s full appearance on The MMA Hour below:
