There is a long list of fighters who turned their fortunes around after joining the UFC. That is exactly what happened with Topuria, who joined the company in 2020 and four years later became the champion of the featherweight division by defeating one of the greatest fighters in the company.

During those four years, he gained almost 2 million followers. However, before and after winning the title, he gained 1.1 million followers, bringing his total to 3.1 million followers and counting.

As per stats from Social Blade, Topuria’s monthly follower count increased by over 3000 in 2020, but in the last 30 days, he has gained over 1 million followers, indicating how defeating Volkanovski impacted his career.

There is no doubt that this is a huge turning point in his career, where he could potentially become the next Conor McGregor of the company.

Similarities between Ilia Topuria and Conor McGregor

Talking about similarities, both exude absolute confidence in their skills. However, when it comes to major similarities, notably after Conor McGregor’s first title win at age 27, he had a 15-fight winning streak, similar to what Topuria currently has.

Additionally, following the classic storyline where everyone was rooting for Volk as the people’s champ, Topuria entered the match with a persona similar to McGregor’s anti-hero image.

The Spanish fighter grabbed the belt from Volkanovski before winning it at the presser and engaged in other notorious actions, prompting many to draw comparisons between their behaviors.

Ilia Topuria and Conor McGregor #UFC pic.twitter.com/r3zNSB6o9R

— MMA UNCENSORED (@MMAUNCENSORED1) February 18, 2024

Interestingly, after winning the belt, he also challenged McGregor, and if this match happens, it will go down as one of the greatest matches in recent times. Where two of the best talents and superstars from the UFC will share the octagon for glory.

The post Ilia Topuria Hits Another 1.1 Million Milestone After Upsetting Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 appeared first on The SportsRush.

Most fans may have noticed the noted Meta head honcho, Mark Zuckerberg in the fallen UFC featherweight champ, Alexander Volkanovski’s corner during his UFC 298 fight. But the addition of such celebrities to the people in a fighter’s corner is an extremely rare incident.

Generally, a UFC fighter’s corner consists of his head coach and other coaches, a cutman, and about one to two of his training partners. They perform their primary roles in between the rounds of a bout. Here’s a list of the various duties that these people perform:

• Providing strategic advice whenever they feel their fighter isn’t being effective enough
• Managing the cuts and damages that the fighter sustains
• Checking on the hydration levels and providing rehydration
• Managing equipment malfunctions and providing immediate replacements
• Making decisions to end a fight whenever they feel the fighter’s safety is at risk

UFC fans may have noticed several fights where fighters have completely changed their game after receiving instructions from their corner.

But many of them may agree that UFC 278 presented one of the brightest examples of how instructions from a fighter’s corner can change the outcome of a fight completely.

Leon Edwards’ corner is a major reason behind his UFC welterweight title victory

Most fans may remember that the current UFC welterweight king, Leon Edwards, was getting dominated by his former welterweight champ rival, Kamaru Usman, at UFC 278. Lots of MMA pundits also agree that ‘Rocky’ may have lost all the first four rounds of the fight.

But the incident that took place during the break after the fourth round was one of the biggest reasons behind Edwards managing to win the fight.

Edwards’ head coach, Dave Lovell, probably knew the exact measure to get him fired up. He shouted at Edwards’ face even with a few cuss words during the 1-min break in between the fourth and final rounds of the bout.

Almost every UFC fan is well aware of what came next. ‘Rocky’ had only one way in which he could win the fight, and that was by finishing Usman.

Well, not only did he finish his rival, but UFC fans will probably remember the incredible head kick KO that he scored for ages. Incidents like these testify that corners and cornermen are indispensable for any UFC fighter.

The post UFC: What Is the Role of a ‘Corner’ During a Fight? appeared first on The SportsRush.

UFC fans are usually very ruthless, especially on social media. However, Alexander Volkanovski is one such fighter who just doesn’t have haters.

The Australian is loved by his fans and his peers. Jon Anik and Nick Kyrgios are just some of the names that showered him with support on Instagram:

 

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A post shared by Alexander Volkanovski (@alexvolkanovski)

Here’s what fans had to say:

“You’ve won the respect of the whole world champ.”

One user said:

“take the year off come back healthy and tko ilia inside 3”

Another user assured Alexander Volkanovski that he had the rematch:

“Keep your head up champ. U GOT THAT REMATCH”

Tennis star Nick Kyrgios said:

“My brother! Head up always”

One fan called ‘Volk’ a true champ:

“True champion inside and outside that octagon”

Jon Anik commented:

Volkanovski also got a word of appreciation from the new UFC Featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria.

Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria share a wholesome moment on Instagram

Alexander Volkanovski was a class act, even in defeat. He gave no excuses for his loss and just congratulated his opponent on a good fight.

Despite all the trash talk leading up to the fight, Ilia Topuria put out a message on Instagram. He thanked Volkanovski and said it was an honor to share the octagon with him.

‘The Great’ responded by saying:

“Appreciate it brother. Congratulations on your victory.”

Love to see the respect between Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuira pic.twitter.com/i05KkCbPSh

— Benny P (@Bendaman2001) February 20, 2024

Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria have a lot of mutual respect for each other. However. Volkanovski is still looking for the rematch in Spain.

Ilia Topuria made it clear that he would defend his belt in Spain and the Australian is willing to fight him anywhere.

The post Alexander Volkanovski Finds Overwhelming Support from Jon Anik and Others Upon Homecoming After UFC 298 Loss appeared first on The SportsRush.

Volkanovski stayed at the #3 spot on the UFC’s top pound-for-pound fighter’s chart to begin this year. But his first encounter of 2024 at UFC 298 also ended in a devastating KO defeat. This is why a large chunk of fans are predicting that the Australian may drop even further on the list now.

Well, the UFC authorities haven’t made any alteration to their list as of now. The athlete rankings page on their official website still showcases ‘Volk’ as the featherweight champ. But the changes are expected to be updated soon. However, Volkanovski’s fans will desperately hope that the top pound-for-pound fighters list stays unchanged.

The Australian avoided dropping down on the list after his UFC 284 fight against the lightweight champ, Islam Makhachev, due to the close nature of the encounter. But it was the noted, Jon Jones, who ultimately dethroned ‘Volk’ after his dominant victory against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285. Still, ‘The Great’ held onto the second spot on the list.

Most fans may not have much to say about ‘Volk’s’ drop to the third spot on the list. It was quite justified as the former featherweight champ picked up another loss against Makhachev at UFC 294. Hence, his UFC 298 defeat might make the fears of his fans come true.

Will Alexander Volkanovski drop another spot in the UFC top pound-for-pound fighters list?

To answer this question, we need to take a look at the current UFC pound-for-pound fighters list. It will reveal that the current UFC welterweight king, Leon Edwards, is the one who sits at the #4 spot currently, just below ‘The Great’. Volkanovski’s recent record says that he currently stands at 1-3 in his last four in-octagon showdowns. ‘Rocky’ trumps ‘The Great’ here by a huge margin.

A look at Edwards’ past four UFC encounters will reveal that he has won all four of them. Moreover, his last defeat came against the former UFC welterweight king, Kamaru Usman in 2015. Almost every UFC fan may know that Edwards avenged his last loss against Usman in a vicious fashion, KO-ing ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ with a head kick. He also won their coveted rivalry 2-1 after three fights between them.

Adding to all of this, the Jamaican-British is currently on a 12-fight win streak as well. Hence, it’s quite clear that Edwards has every chance of surpassing Volkanovski on the UFC pound-for-pound rankings. However, due to the confusion about the factors determining this list, nothing can be said if the Australian will lose his spot to the UK native or not.

The post UFC Pound-for-Pound Rankings: Will Alexander Volkanovski Drop Down After His Second Straight UFC Loss? appeared first on The SportsRush.

Alexander Volkanovski, at one point, was unbeaten in the UFC. Now he has won just one fight in his last four and things aren’t looking too good for him.

However, ‘The Great’, true to his moniker, is not giving up. He shared a message to his fans on YouTube and made them a promise:

“I definitely want that rematch, Spain is what I’m hearing is gonna happen, Dana wants Spain, obviously Ilia wants Spain……I’m gonna get that belt back, mark my words.”

Alexander Volkanovski revealed that he would be taking a break for some time. He also broke down the fight and pointed out his mistakes.

However, he does believe he was up on the cards going into the second round. Unfortunately for him, Topuria got him up against the cage and connected with a solid right hook.

‘The Great’ dismissed all excuses of why he lost the fight during a press conference.

Alexander Volkanovski dismisses ‘excuses’ for his loss and gives Ilia Topuria his flowers

Alexander Volkanovski is probably the classiest champion the UFC has seen. Even in defeat, he is always a class act, and he proved it during the post-fight press conference.

One reporter questioned whether Volkanovski took this fight too soon after getting knocked out by Islam Makhachev. ‘The Great’ responded by saying:

“You can’t take anything away from Topuria. If he puts a hand on you like that, you’re gonna go down. That was a clean right hand. No matter who you are.”

Alexander Volkanovski rejects the notion his 4-month turnaround from the KO vs. Islam Makhachev contributed to his #UFC298 title loss.

“That was a clean right hand. No matter who you are.” pic.twitter.com/jNzX6BEPlT

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) February 18, 2024

Alexander Volkanovski further added that he can’t take anything away from Ilia Topuria. The Spaniard caught him clean, and that is exactly what he was trying to do.

Volkanovski will now get some well-earned rest before vying for a rematch against the newly crowned champion.

The post VIDEO: Alexander Volkanovski Breaks Silence After UFC 298 Loss, Talks on Rematch in Spain, and More appeared first on The SportsRush.

Mendez was asked to highlight his favourite moment from the event and he was asked if it had anything to do with Zuckerberg. Mendez said,

“Yeah Mark Zuckerberg no, he has zero to do with anything that I liked. Even though I like the fact that he likes MMA. But I mean yeah, he is just a fan. It is appreciative that someone that powerful likes the sport legitly. As far as his expertise, there is none. My favourite part, I would say, was Robert Whittaker vs Costa.”

Over the past few years, Mark Zuckerberg has been extremely involved in the sport of mixed martial arts. What started as a way to stay fit has developed into an obsession for the 39-year-old. He is often spotted training with the likes of Mikey Musumeci and, more recently, Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski.

Zuckerberg was in Volkanovski’s corner and walked him out to the octagon before taking his seat ringside. This is something that did not sit well with UFC fans.

Aftermath of UFC 298

UFC 298 ended with a few surprising results as well as a few expected wins. The biggest takeaway from the event is that the UFC now has a new star on its hands. Given that McGregor is extremely sporadic in his activity, Ilia Topuria is just the man the UFC needed to grow the market and ignite an interest in MMA in Europe.

Additionally, the likes of Robert Whittaker and Merab Dvalishvili scored big wins and cemented their place in their respective division.

 

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A post shared by UFC (@ufc)

Dvalishvili has earned himself a title shot with that performance as confirmed by Dana White. Whittaker, on the other hand, will most likely face Dricus Du Plessis if he secures a win against Israel Adesanya.

However, if Adesanya regains his belt, it is highly unlikely that the UFC will give Whittaker yet another title shot against Adesanya.

The post “Zero to Do”: Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Coach Gets Brutal on Mark Zuckerberg Cornering Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 appeared first on The SportsRush.

This is probably why ‘El Matador’ decided to honor the country of Spain with a change in his walkout song. Topuria chose a famous song in the Spanish language called ‘Alma De Guitarra’ for his UFC 298 entrance.

Several fans may know that the 27-year-old walked out to ‘Love Tonight’ by Shouse (Vintage Culture & Kiko Franco Remix) for his previous fight against Josh Emmett at UFC on ABC 5.

But this time, he may have intended to celebrate his life with the ‘Banderas‘ composed ‘Alma De Guitarra’. The song talks about a Mexican wanderer who travels around and enjoys life. But it is in Spanish, which might have propelled ‘El Matador’ to elect it.

Currently, Topuria’s condition matches the life of the man described in ‘Alma De Guitarra’. He travels and fights wherever the UFC wants him to. He has a beautiful wife and the entire country of Spain loves him even more now as he has become the first-ever UFC champ from the country.

Several fans may have called Topuria delusional due to his tall claims before the fight. But he ultimately showcased a Conor McGregor-like feature with his win. His in-octagon interview got him in a clash with ‘Mystic Mac’ as well.

Which Conor McGregor-like ability did Ilia Topuria showcase with a victory at UFC 298?

Most fans may remember that ‘The Notorious’ used to predict the results of his fights accurately most of the time. This is why fans accepted his ‘Mystic Mac’ nickname at once. But it won’t be wrong to say that Topuria showcased that he was a mystic of greater order.

‘El Matador’ had updated his ‘X’ bio with “Undefeated 15-0 · UFC World Champion” several days before he dethroned his noted rival, Alexander Volkanovski. But their encounter proved that he was no less than McGregor when it came to mysticism.

The 27-year-old also called out the UFC’s biggest PPV star in a rather deriding manner. Fans are currently eager to know if this callout will lead to a McGregor vs Topuria showdown or not.

The post Ilia Topuria Walkout Song: What Song Did the New UFC Champion Use for the UFC 298 Main Event? appeared first on The SportsRush.

Ilia Topuria turned all his words into action at UFC 298. Topuria knocked Volkanovski out cold in the second round to become the new champion.

MMA Journalist Manouk Akopyan got a hold of the fighter pay and bonuses filed by the UFC with the California State Commission.

I obtained the guaranteed minimum purses and bonuses for #UFC298, as filed with the CSAC.

Alexander Volkanovski: $750,000
Ilia Topuria: $350,000

Here’s the earnings recap for the rest of the 11-fight card. pic.twitter.com/w9rOJQ52fY

— Manouk Akopyan (@ManoukAkopyan) February 17, 2024

As per the report, Alexander Volkanovski is the highest-earning fighter of the card with a whopping $750,000. The UFC did not list any win bonus for the main event.

Ilia Topuria had a base salary of $350,000, making him the second-highest-earning fighter on the card. The Spaniard’s win made him the new Featherweight Champion of the world.

Topuria did not hold back following his win. He called out to all the people that doubted him and did not believe that he could beat Volkanovski.

Ilia Topuria silences haters after knocking Alexander Volkanovski out

Ilia Topuria wasted no time in calling out the people who doubted him. The Spaniard was extremely confident, leading up to the fight, that he would become the champion.

Topuria called it his destiny and claimed it was something he worked his entire life for. During his Octagon interview with Joe Rogan, he expressed:

“I feel so happy right now, they gonna tell you you can’t do it they gonna knock you down and doubt you……Look at me, look at me now.”

“Look at me now!”@Topuriailia believed in himself and got it done! #UFC298 | Live on TNT Sports & discovery+ pic.twitter.com/PSwmWNrQYY

— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) February 18, 2024

Ilia Topuria went on to say how it was purely his hard work and consistency that made him a champion. The Spaniard was very emotional as he spoke with the belt on his shoulder.

On the other hand, Alexander Volkanovski hoped to secure a rematch against Topuria in Spain. However, the Spaniard has his eyes on Conor McGregor.

The post UFC 298 Purse and Payouts: How Much Money Did Ilia Topuria Make After Title Win Against Alexander Volkanovski? appeared first on The SportsRush.

Tristan Tate, like his brother Andrew Tate, is a former kickboxer and avid MMA fan. He sent Alexander Volkanovski a message on X, saying:

“Hoping @alexvolkanovski takes care of business. Impossible to dislike the guy as both a fighter and a man.”

Hoping @alexvolkanovski takes care of business.

Impossible to dislike the guy as both a fighter and a man.

— Tristan Tate (@TateTheTalisman) February 17, 2024

Volkanovski responded by saying:

“Appreciate mate.”

Appreciate mate.

— Alex Volkanovski (@alexvolkanovski) February 17, 2024

Alexander Volkanovski has been very calm and focused ahead of his title fight at UFC 298. Topuria, on the other hand, has been extremely vocal and done a lot of trash-talking.

Volkanovski is looking to settle things in the ring and does not care about the trash-talking. The Australian shut Topuria’s trash talk down in the press conference.

Alexander Volkanovski shuts Ilia Topuria’s trash talk down with ‘old man costume’

Alexander Volkanovski showed up at the UFC 298 press conference dressed up as an old man. The Australian fed into the doubts of whether he was too old to be champion.

Topuria, on the other hand, channeled his inner Conor McGregor by showing up in a suit. He asked ‘Volk’ to humble him and ‘do something’. The Champ responded by saying,

“You’re getting worked up buddy. He’s seen me in an old man outfit and now he wants to be a hard fella eh, how about that?”

How Alexander Volkanovski stood up in the old man outfit pic.twitter.com/fPmfRefSDu

— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) February 16, 2024

Alexander Volkanovski’s old-man outfit was the highlight of the press conference. Ilia Topuria’s numerous attempts to rile up the champion fell flat on its face.

‘The Great’ seems laser-focused ahead of his title fight and will look to remind people who he is on Saturday night. The Australian wants to finish Topuria inside the octagon.

UFC 298 promises to be fireworks with both fighters predicting a finish. Only time will tell whether the champ can hold on to his title or the challenger can dethrone the king.

The post Alexander Volkanovski Responds in ‘Two Words’ After Unlikely Support From Tristan Tate to Beat Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 appeared first on The SportsRush.

Ilia Topuria: Earnings from UFC career

Topuria made his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 179 against Youssef Zalal on 10 October 2020. He also managed to gain a victory over his rival. A report from ‘Sports Lens’ reveals that he pocketed about $38.5k for this bout. However, he kept on winning, which improved his payout after every fight. The report also reveals that ‘El Matador’ has made about $550k from his six UFC fights to date.

Here’s a summary of what his estimated per-fight payout looks like:

UFC 298 is going to be the first event that ‘El Matador’ will headline. This is why his payout is expected to take a huge leap.

Ilia Topuria’s net worth

Topuria may have made $550k from his six UFC fights to date. But his total net worth stands a lot higher than his UFC career income. Several sources estimate his current net worth to be somewhere around $1M to $1.4M.

Ilia Topuria’s salary

Most fans may know that UFC athletes earn their salary per fight. Topuria earned a guaranteed fight purse of $100k for his last fight against Josh Emmett on 24 June 2023. This places him under the $100k salary belt for fighters in the UFC. However, nothing can be said about whether he will get a boost in his salary for his UFC 298 fight or not.

Ilia Topuria’s earnings from endorsements

The difference between Topuria’s net worth and UFC career earnings to date indicates that he has earned a lot of money from his ventures outside the UFC as well. A large part of it must have come from his brand endorsement deals. ‘El Matador’ is currently in a contract with some noted brands like Oblack Caps, Keio Mobile, and others. But there’s no official information about the worth of his deals.

An estimate of Ilia Topuria’s earnings from UFC 298

There are no pre-written guidelines about which UFC PPV fighters will get a share of its PPV sales revenue. But mostly the champions headlining UFC PPV events do get a share out of it. But the same cannot be said about their challengers. There are multiple instances of a non-champion UFC PPV main eventer getting barred from a share in the PPV revenue. However, the authorities have provided such fighters with PPV points in other cases.

A report from ‘Marca‘ says that Topuria will earn a base salary of $500k for his UFC 298 fight. The lower limit of his income lies at $532k since he will also pocket $32k as an incentive. But much like the former UFC middleweight king, Sean Strickland, Ilia Topuria’s earnings also might reach well past a million if Dana White and Co. allow him a share of UFC 298’s PPV revenues.

The post Ilia Topuria Earnings: How Much Money Did the Spaniard Make From UFC? What Is His Net Worth and Other FAQs? appeared first on The SportsRush.