“From the very first round, I knew what was going on. But I just couldn’t press the button. It felt like my brain refused to fight. I paid the price.” Former 145lbs kingpin Alexander Volkanovski revealed this in the UFC 314 Countdown video earlier this month. In the brutally honest segment, ‘The Great’ opened up about the “freak reaction” he experienced during his UFC 298 clash with Ilia Topuria—a night that ended with him losing both his featherweight crown and, in his words, a piece of his identity. The Georgian export capitalized on the hesitation, knocking ‘Volk’ out cold in the second round and handing the Aussie one of the toughest defeats of his career.

While that night may now be in the rearview, the scars still linger. But Volkanovski is not one to shy away from a comeback. At UFC 314 in Miami, he’s stepping back into the spotlight with a shot to reclaim his lost throne. And this time against another surging contender Diego Lopes for the vacant featherweight strap—left behind by Topuria, who has since moved up to pursue lightweight glory. Despite the looming challenge, it’s Alexander Volkanovski’s raw confession in the Countdown video that continues to stir conversation.

During media day, one reporter circled back to that vulnerable moment and asked: “So what does that feel like when you’re in there—to have, as you say, a freak reaction defensively on your end?” the Aussie took a moment, then responded candidly:

“I don’t know if ‘freak reaction’ is the right term. It was more like… I knew what I needed to do. I was telling myself, ‘Alright, now’s the time to start adding things.’ The openings were there, but I was just getting hesitant. When I say ‘defensive,’ I mean, like—I didn’t want to commit. I didn’t want to follow through. And I don’t want to go too deep into it, but yeah… it was like I was talking to myself, telling myself to go—and I just wouldn’t.”

The conversation didn’t stop there. ‘The Great’ also shared his reaction regarding Ilia Topuria vacating the featherweight title. Although he was aware that ‘La Leyenda’ had his sights set on the lightweight division, the move to relinquish the belt still caught him off guard. “I was honestly pretty surprised when he gave it up. I knew he wanted to go after the lightweight title. I’d heard him talk about it—but I didn’t think he’d let go of the featherweight belt that quickly. I figured he’d try to hold onto it for a bit. But credit to him—he didn’t want to stall the division, and you’ve got to respect that.”

Topuria’s decision wasn’t just about ambition—it came down to practicality too. UFC CEO Dana White already confirmed that Topuria will no longer cut weight to 145 pounds. His body simply can’t make the weight anymore, and that reality forced him to let go of the belt. Still, there’s some speculation behind the scenes. Many believe ‘La Leyenda’s exit from the featherweight division may have come with a few behind-the-curtain agreements with Dana White and the UFC brass—possibly tied to his pursuit of an immediate title shot at 155lbs.

With the featherweight crown now up for grabs at UFC 314, all eyes are on Miami this weekend. And just to spice things up, Ilia Topuria has already weighed in with his prediction on who will claim the vacant throne. Let’s dive into that next.

What did Ilia Topuria say about Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes?

At UFC 308, Ilia Topuria sent shockwaves through the MMA world by handing Max Holloway a brutal defeat—shattering the Hawaiian’s legendary chin in Abu Dhabi. Watching from the cage side was former champ Alexander Volkanovski. At the time, the hype around a potential rematch—Volkanovski vs. Topuria 2.0—was already building, with UFC CEO Dana White fully on board. After all, the Aussie had long been the company’s go-to featherweight, always ready to step up when it mattered most.

But that redemption arc never materialized. Topuria turned the page, setting his sights on a new goal: Taking down Islam Makhachev and conquering the lightweight division, leaving Volkanovski to chase new challenges of his own. Still, ‘La Leyenda’ hasn’t completely cut ties with his old weight class. With the vacant featherweight title up for grabs at UFC 314, the Spanish-Georgian juggernaut couldn’t resist throwing in his two cents.

As 36-year-old Alexander Volkanovski prepares to face the rising 30-year-old Diego Lopes, Ilia Topuria offered a cheeky but telling prediction at a recent press conference: “It’s hard to predict my sons’ fight,” he smirked. “I don’t know, but I wish them both good luck. Everyone knows who really runs this division. I left them a toy to play with. It might mean something to them—but I don’t need a belt.”

Now the question is: Can ‘Volk’ silence the noise and bounce back from that brutal loss to Topuria? Or will Lopes ride the momentum and add a legend to his resume? What do you think? Who takes it—Alexander Volkanovski or Diego Lopes? Let us know your thoughts below.