UFC 298 lived up to its expectations when the main event of the night got a spicy twist. Ilia Topuria crowned himself with the featherweight gold after a spectacular knockout victory over ‘The Great’, Alexander Volkanovski. There seemed to be a bit of bad blood between the warriors but it was all a facade, as after the win, Topuria conveyed his wishes to ‘Volk’ for being a great warrior.

The UFC 298 pre-fight press con͏feren͏ce echoed the intensity of Conor McGregor͏ and Jose Aldo‘s histo͏ric press conference. In an attempt to add intrigue, Topuria mirro͏red McGregor͏’s bold move from ͏2015 by snatching Volkanovski’s belt. Fans perceived Topuri͏a’s actions to be a bit far-fetched, anticipating a continuation of animosit͏y after the fight. However, the post-fight scenario turned out to be different.

Alexander Volkanovsi and Ilia Topuria’s heartwarming exchange

Ilia Topuria dethroned the ‘Great’ to become only the fifth featherweight champion of the UFC since the division’s inception. The tremendous knockout in the second round was the highlight of the night. Topuria was unfazed by ‘Volk’s unblemished record in the division and took the champ head-on.

Post the fight, the Georgian-Spanish sensation took to his Instagram handle to appreciate Volkanovski’s legendary status. Topuria shared a photo of them on his story and wrote “Thank you, Volk. You were a tough opponent who made me even better. It was an honor to share the octagon with you.”

In a heartwarming gesture, Volkanovski has responded to Topuria’s kind words for him. The former featherweight champ took to his Instagram handle to reshare Topuria’s story and wrote “Appreciate it, brother. Congratulations on your victory.” 

It must be noted that Ilia Topuria has agreed to provide an immediate rematch to Volkanovski and the fight might happen sooner or later. What’s more, Topuria has now overthrown ‘Volk’ and other fighters in the UFC’s P4P rankings. So where do Topuria and other winners from UFC 298 stand at the table? Let’s find out.

Topuria debuts in UFC’s P4P rankings

There was a time when Alexander Volkanovski was close to becoming the pound-4-pound king but time changed everything. A year down the line. ‘Volk’ has now lost his belt as well as his ranking atop the P4P list. After UFC 298 concluded, the rankings have been updated and Topuria has jumped not only Volkanovski but multiple champions. 

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‘El Matador’ has roared to the rankings table with a boom. As of today, Topuria is ranked #5 at the UFC’s P4P rankings leap-frogging the likes of Sean O’Malley, Dricus Du Plessis, Alexandre Pantoja, and Volkanovski, who has been demoted to the 7th rank.

When it comes to the featherweight division, the Australian still holds the number 1 contender status. In the coming year, we might witness new fighters inching closer to the p4p rankings.

Read More: Ilia Topuria Handed a Meagre $350K as Dana White’s Payout Surpasses $23 Million After Alexander Volkanovski-Headlined UFC 298