Alexander Volkanovski had high hopes of defending his featherweight title at UFC 297.
Unfortunately, that is no longer the case after ‘The Great’ stepped inside the Octagon on 11 days’ notice last month for a short-notice clash with reigning lightweight world champion Islam Makhachev. Volkanovski’s gamble didn’t pay off as he suffered a brutal first-round TKO after the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ landed a perfectly-timed head kick in the opening minutes.
As a result, concussion protocols forced Volkanovski to move his return date back by one month. He is now set to defend his title against the division’s fifth-ranked contender, Ilia Topuria, in the UFC 298 headliner on February 17.