Dan Hooker does not think that Ilia Topurias Ko by Alexander Volkanovski is everything it is to be.
The UFC-Fedweight Champion is today one of the biggest stars in sport and earns millions of fans when eliminating Volkanovski and Max Holloway in back-to-back title fights.
Ilia Topuria won the title at the age of 27, Pulverizing Volkanovski with punches in the second round of the UFC 298 Main Event. This would be Volkanovsky's very first loss in featherweight, which ends a 1,521-day title line for 'The Great'.
Alexander Volkanovski has previously lost in the UFC, twice through the hands of lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in the division above.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty images
Dan hooker pins alexander Volkanovski's title loss against Ilia Topuria on fast running
Four months prior to the fight against Topuria in February 2024, Volkanovski was eliminated by Makhachev with a headkick in their rematch on UFC 294.
Ko'ed in October, Volkanovski would not prevent that from making a rapid change in February, so that Hooker believed it led to the death of his teammate.
“I feel that he was turned around too quickly from the fight of Islam Makhachev,” Hooker said about Volkanovski on Sky Sport.
“I don't think Ilia Topuria did something so incredible,” Hooker added.
'I feel like it [Volkanovski] Just fighting, and I've been there. When I fought against Paul Felder and then I fought against Dustin Poirier rather back-to-back and then ran the Michael Chandler fight.
It is not as if Michael Chandler did something that was incredibly lightning. “
Alexander Volkanovski 'needed a little more time to recover from Islam Makhachev Ko
Hooker referred to an earlier KO loss to Michael Chandler that took place with Dustin Poirier months after his five-round war. The UFC light weight veteran says that the body can only take so much punishment before it needs time to fully earn back – especially if you fight five round fights.
For Alexander Volkanovski, Diego Lopes will be on UFC 314 his tenth five-round fight in a row, this time for the empty featherweight title, left by Ilia Topuria, who goes to lightweight.
Hooker believes that the wear to Volkanovski has overtaken on UFC 298.
“It takes longer to recover from a fight of five round,” said Hooker.
“Especially what Volkanovski has undergone with training camps with five round championship and she just placed so consistently because he has been one of the most consistent champions for the UFC who got on the board, fighting, jumping in the short term …
“He just needed a little more time between these battles to have his body completely recovered,” Hooker said about Volkanovski after the loss of Makhachev.
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