Ilia Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) backed up every bit of his pre-fight trash talk when he demolished Volkanovski to become the fifth undisputed featherweight champion in UFC history.
The amount of brashness coming out of Topuria was stunning to a degree, just because the claims of what he was going to do to Volkanovski were unprecedented in the featherweight division. Clearly he knew something many others didn’t, though, because his delivered a spectacular knockout that makes him just the 11th undefeated male champion in company history.
This result essentially straps a rocket to Topuria’s back in the direction of superstardom within the MMA space. It’s just a question now if he can continue winning and capitalize. The fact the UFC is keen to take an event to Spain shows that it is aware of Topuria’s potential.
Between his outspoken demeanour, stylish presentation, violent style and ability to carry the Latino market, Topuria is a dream champion for the UFC. The fights ahead aren’t going to be easy, but Topuria has the world at the palm of his hand, and it’s going to be a fun ride to see what his title reign looks like.
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This story originally appeared on MMA Junkie