Ex-UFC Champ: Volkanovski Was 'Fighting Scared' at UFC 298
Former UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw believes Alexander Volkanovski was fighting scared against Ilia Topuria at UFC 298, which led to his downfall.
"The Great" Volkanovski won round one on all three scorecards, before being backed against the cage in round two and put out cold by a crisp right hook.
Dillashaw appeared on the Jaxxon podcast on February 19, where he outlined what he thought Volkanovski's gameplan was:
"I'd like to be in his head before I do a complete judgment of it," Dillashaw clarified. ".... [Volkanovski] was only throwing kicks, he was scared of the power [from Topuria]. .... He's never fought like that in the past."
Through a kick-heavy gameplan, Dillashaw thought Volkanovski was trying to tire out the arms of his Topuria, similar to how Canelo Alvarez punches the arms of opponents who shell up:
"The first two rounds all he was doing was throwing kicks. ... I was thinking he was trying to slow down his arms, because every time you block a kick it's like getting a charlie horse to your arm.
".... Every time Topuria would get close he'd get back --- leaning away --- and as soon as I saw that I was like 'Damn he's gonna get caught,' you know he was fighting scared he was worried about the power.
".... He was scared, I think he was afraid of his power and fought scared," Dillashaw concluded. "Topuria didn't have anything to lose, and Volk had all of it to lose and he fought that way."
Ilia Topuria KO's Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298
Coach: Topuria Had 'Puncher's Chance' Against Volkanovski & Got it
Dillashaw makes a fair judgment, but Vokanovski's coach Joe Lopez thought Topuria made the most of a "puncher's chance":
"Alex was going through the gameplan, was finding his range and starting to touch him up," Lopez explained to the Daily Mail. ".... We knew coming into this fight he [Topuria] had a puncher's chance - and he got that punch."
Puncher's chance or not, Topuria is crowned the new featherweight king, and the choice of a rematch is left for him to decide.
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