Daniel Cormier believes that Ilia Topuria has the potential for a significant breakthrough moment at UFC 298. Topuria, who remains undefeated with a record of 14-0 in MMA and 6-0 in the UFC, is set to challenge featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) in the main event on February 17th at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Topuria’s confidence is soaring as he prepares for his title shot against the five-time defending champion Volkanovski. Not only has he already updated his social media biography to reflect his status as champion, but he has also boldly predicted a first-round knockout. Furthermore, Topuria has dismissed Max Holloway, Yair Rodriguez, and Brian Ortega as viable contenders for the title.
Daniel Cormier, speaking on his YouTube channel, observes that Topuria seems to thrive under pressure. He highlights Topuria’s ambitious plans, such as releasing a movie about his journey to becoming the world champion and expressing his desire to fight in the same stadium as Real Madrid in Spain. Cormier notes that most individuals would seek to alleviate the pressure in such circumstances, but Topuria appears to embrace it.
While some may view Topuria’s approach as potentially setting himself up for failure, Cormier draws a parallel to Conor McGregor’s rise to stardom. Cormier recalls McGregor’s confidence and conviction leading up to his fight against Jose Aldo, where he famously knocked out Aldo in just 13 seconds to claim the featherweight title. Cormier suggests that if Topuria can deliver on his promises, he could experience a similar ascent and become a star unlike anything the UFC or the fighting world has seen before.
According to the Source mmajunkie.usatoday.com