Ilia Topuria KNOCKS OUT Alexander Volkanovski with huge right hand to dethrone featherweight champion in second round of UFC 298 main event in California

Ilia Topuria is the new UFC featherweight world champion after she brutally knocked out Alexander Volkanovski.

El Matador became the bull and the 145-pound king made good on his pre-fight promise to end it early. His concussion was the difference between a man eight years his senior, who had taken such a commanding lead in the division and had tech billionaire Mark Zuckerberg in his corner that night.

Spain has its first UFC champion and he has upset the odds beautifully. In the opening round, Volkanovski looked sharp, working on the outside and aware of the threat posed by his opponent’s heavy hands.

Topuria was patient and both men landed heavy calf kicks, as is the current trend with fighters trying to destabilize their rival’s base.

Volkanovski’s jab sounded like a piston and cut Topuria on the bridge of the nose, but when the challenger landed it was clear the impact was much more impactful.

Topuria produced exactly what he said he would, taking out Volkanovski early and he will be hard to stop

This was the decisive blow that ended it, sending the Australian to the mat before the referee intervened

It was a sad end to the reign of Volkanovski, who had never lost in the UFC until he met El Matador

In the second the pattern continued, but there was an air of inevitability. Despite all Volkanovski’s clever and cunning moves, he occasionally left the exchanges in a straight backwards line.

That Topuria had 25 minutes to land a big shot on the man who only knocked out Islam Makhachev last October seemed more inevitable.

He did this by putting his man back against the fence, sneaking a heavy right hand just over the shoulder and landing on the chin of ‘The Great’, who collapsed against the canvas, where he took at least a few remained there for minutes.

Even though Topuria had been supremely confident all week, telling everyone who would listen how things would go, El Matador still seemed almost overwhelmed by the magnitude of his achievement.

Afterwards he said: ‘Guess what, the only person you need is yourself, trust yourself and work tirelessly and anything is possible.

‘I know my skills, I work so hard. I worked so hard for this. One day I knew I was going to be a UFC champion. It doesn’t matter what’s behind you, what matters is what’s in front of you.

“Cold, cold,” he said, looking up at the big screen replay of his finish.

“I just had to throw a lot of combinations in this fight and that’s what I did. It’s time to bring the UFC to Spain!’

Topuria and his entourage celebrated in the octagon, while his son could also watch

Volkanovski jabbed and moved with great effect early on, but was much less powerful and explosive than his opponent

The Australian could now take a long break before dusting himself off and getting ready to go again

Volkanovski, stylish as ever, took the defeat with his usual grace and called for a rematch in Spain.

That would be a monstrous event considering the growing support Topuria has in his adopted home, with famous faces like Sergio Ramos already on the bandwagon.

MMA is becoming increasingly popular in Spain and Topuria is the man driving it, already hitting the red carpet and interacting with celebrities. His story, born in Germany to Georgian parents, returning to their homeland and then starting a new life in Alicante, is fascinating.

He deserves the praise coming his way and looks like a champion who won’t be easily usurped.

There is a good chance that Volkanovski will now have an extended break from competition. He will undoubtedly want a quick return to action, but with many doubting a quick turnaround after his KO loss to Islam Makhachev last year, his brain could use a period of recovery.

Max Holloway seems a more likely option, although much will depend on how he fares in moving up a division to take on the deadly Justin Gaethje at UFC 300.