Dana White believes that Ilia Topuria has yet to demonstrate his abilities against the established names in the featherweight division.
Topuria (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) will be challenging featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) in the main event of UFC 298 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Volkanovski is a five-time defending champion who has never been defeated at 145 pounds. His record includes victories over former champions Max Holloway and Jose Aldo, as well as notable contenders like Chad Mendes, Chan Sung Jung, Brian Ortega, and Yair Rodriguez. While Topuria is undefeated, White argues that his accomplishments don’t measure up.
“When you consider the opponents he has defeated and the significance of those victories, Topuria doesn’t have that yet,” White told Kevin Iole.
“So, despite his impressive statistics, he lacks the experience of competing in high-stakes fights. This will be his first one. It’s his first encounter with a prominent opponent and his first major fight. Despite being a talented fighter, he still has a lot to prove.”
White is uncertain about Topuria’s dismissal of the top featherweight contenders and his desire to face Conor McGregor, but he understands his confidence.
“I’m not sure about that,” White commented on Topuria’s callout of McGregor. “I think he still has a lot to prove. Look, when you’re undefeated, you’ve never experienced defeat, and you’ve been on the upward trajectory that this guy is on, that’s the mindset you should have. But we’ll see how it unfolds on Saturday night.”
According to the Source mmajunkie.usatoday.com