UFC 298: Alexander Volkanovski out to defy curse that has ruined careers of Kamaru Usman, Henry Cejudo and Jorge Masvidal in his fight with Ilia Topuria
- History is against Alex Volkanovski in the UFC 298 title fight
- Fighters 35 and older under middleweight rarely win titles
- Aussie has made use of jokes about his age before the match
Featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski prepares to break an infamous UFC curse that has ruined the careers of many UFC veterans when he takes on Ilia Topuria this weekend.
Volkanovski will defend his title against the undefeated contender in the main event of UFC 298, which takes place in Anaheim, California.
The 35-year-old Australian, who has held the UFC featherweight title since 2019 when he defeated Max Holloway, is undefeated at 145 pounds and has defended the title five times during his dominant reign.
However, Volkanovski now faces a new opponent, Father Time.
UFC fighters aged 35 and older – in the men’s divisions below middleweight – have a record of winning just two out of 33 fights.
Alex Volkanovski prepares to break the infamous ‘over 35 curse’ at UFC 298
Undefeated contender Ilia Topuria jokes about the Aussie’s age ahead of the title fight
The only fighter to have defied this curse is Tyron Woodley, in his title fights against Demian Maia and Darren Till.
In recent years, fans have watched top veterans like Henry Cejudo, Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal get defeated by younger opponents in title fights.
‘The Great’ has heard that his best days may be behind him and has decided to submit to the curse of over 35.
Volkanovski recently teamed up with Sportsbet to produce a hilarious video making fun of his age.
“Volkanovski is too old, nowadays they make headlines everywhere,” he says in the clip, while dressed as a much older man.
‘All this talk about the curse of 35 is nonsense. That’s why I brought in the Sportsbet team to prove that I’m just as young as these whippersnappers.’
The champ hits all the cliches, including falling asleep on the couch and talking to his neighbor over the back fence.
Topuria recognizes Volkanovski’s talent but believes his time at the top is now over and has referred to him as ‘old’ several times in the run-up to the championship.
Volkanovski has responded to the ‘too old’ comments with a hilarious video
The champion predicts he will finish his brash opponent within a few rounds
‘I’m the best. He’s one of the best. You have to give him his credit. He was a great champion, he was pound for pound No. 1. He was without a doubt one of the greatest,” he said.
‘He sold. He has already lost. He has all the signs that he needs to retire. He had his moments in this sport and now it’s time to move on.
‘It’s time for new blood, and I represent the new generation. I represent the evolution of mixed martial arts.”
Volkanovski predicts he will make his brash young opponent eat his words.
“The prediction is that I teach him a good lesson,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel.
“He’ll be ashamed, eat some of his words, and it might be the beginning of his journey. He’s young, he’s confident, I’ll humiliate him, he’ll bounce back and start after I give him a good beating. Round two, I think. I think I’ll crumble it first.
“I’m not saying it will be an easy fight for him, but I think as confident as he is, he hasn’t been able to prove that. I prove that every time I enter this gym.
‘I push myself to the limit. I don’t know if he does. He’s not acting like it, so I’m going to push him, and I think I’m going to crumble him into one piece and get the finish shortly after.”