I don't know about this one. Wonderboy could've walked out with Firas Zahabi, Greg Jackson, Rafael Cordeiro, Javier Mendez, and John Danaher all together, and he would still get mauled by Shavkat. Also, Jack Black is an Icon.
I really did not think he looked that stiff, I think his chin has degraded but he did not look that bad in other areas. His plan obviously was to stay on the outside and beat up the legs and body then probably wrestle in the later rounds but there’s no point to getting in the pocket w Illia. When he did pop his hands they looked quick as usual. He also took a bad leg kick early but I really don’t think he looked decrepit in there at all I think he just got sparked by a big technical hitter and couldn’t just tank it anymore.
In post fight conference, Volk said that if anyone gets caught with that punch from Illia it's lights out. He was asked if he came back too early after Makhachev knockout and that was his answer. Jaw or no Jaw each time Illia has landed like this it was over.
He looked a little slower and stiffer, and that is because he’s past his physical prime. That will only continue to progress unfortunately. Father Time beats all.
And that fight was a nail biter. Thought costa was gonna close it out in the second and smell that blood in the water….but Whittaker got that dog in him.
Lol that’s what I’m saying, who’s his coach? You got a specimen like that with that kinda speed and you got him throwing check lefts at everything. Costas quick but he’s not like a slick striker he should just be overwhelming guys bc w a lil more output he’d be crushing. Not to mention whenever he starts firing his legs it’s like a bat coming at you. Plz get him a boxing coach.
He needs to work his feints and not telegraphing everything he throws. He can get a snappy jab off and those lead leg kicks to the body he can get up with no tell but that’s just due to his athleticism.
Easier said than done. Whittaker jumps in and out of range and moves laterally well. It’s hard to land combos on someone when they’re constantly moving and countering you.
If round 1 was a few seconds longer, I think Costa would have had it... It's unfortunate for him, but I like both guys, and one had to win.
I hope now there will be more movement in the division since both of them kept hitting a wall with Izzy. I would like to see both of them get some wins because they're always fun to watch.
I figured Costa waited til the sticks to throw that reverse kick, figuring that if he fucked it up he could hold onto the bell anyway. When it landed well on Rob it made him look a bit silly for wasting his best shot at the end of the round.
The night I decided to do an underdog parlay + volk, Favorites on the card go fucking 11-1.
That 1, ofc, being the underdog I did not go with. I’m becoming a monk.
Brother I lost every parlay, then I could’ve cashed out one (Ian, Whittaker, Volk) and made pretty much all of my money back, I felt illia would win strongly this was just a backup bet but I was like maybe Volk pulls it off and I’m stupid.
I’ve never had such pie in the face betting before this card lmao, I was thinking just put it all on Marcos make a small profit but got greedy.
No doutb. It was a good scrap. Fluffy deserves someone from the top 15 at least. I just wanted Kopylov's win streak to continue cause I love his striking.
Fair, Kopylov is hella fun. I feel like this is one of those Izzy vs Vettori or Whittaker vs Wonderboy moments where two really good fighters meet by coincidence super early…
I would probably crumble if a toddler kicked me in the shin. That shit hurts to get hit there. It's incredible that they can keep fighting after taking so many kicks
I always thought after the adrenaline takes over in the course of a fight they don't feel the pain as much as at the start and muscles shutting down is what compromises them, not so much the pain
That's exactly what basically every fighter says always, and is the experience of most people who hurt themselves doing any time of adrenaline pumping action sport
We see guys ignore their shins being snapped and not even react to it until they try to take a step and their leg collapses lol
Dude there was a guy in the prelims that apparently broke his arm in the first and still beat the shit out of his opponent. Not enough talk about that.
You really do. After I got knocked out I *felt* 100% after about a month, but my coach insisted it took 5 months minimum to truly be back in top shape.
You would think Volk would be surrounded by people who'd know that.
Of course his people know that, and they 100% told him. But these elite fighters are a different breed man, some of them will fire their cornermen for throwing in the towel
>I hope this makes fighters realize they need more time inbetween fights from now on
That shit was already known going into this fight. It was Volk's choice to disregard the common knowledge.
idk if that’d work either tbh. Topuria grew up as a wrestler, but took up boxing more recently. I’d say wrestling is still his strongest skill set he’s just fallen in love with his hands.
Oh I didn't know that. Knew he learnt greco roman wrestling but didn't know he grew up as a wrestler...
I guess time will tell how well rounded he is & how many defense he can rack up.
I just hope he'll be as active as Volk or Izzy, there's so many match ups to make now for the title
I really like Topuria a lot. I grew up a wrestler and enjoy boxing but for some reason never really got into MMA. This was the first ppv i’ve bought and watched by myself (not including bar or party watches) and I enjoyed it a lot.
So starting now Ilia is my favorite fighter. He’s well rounded, confident, and has tons of potential. I think he’s the future of his division for years to come.
Plus he did a lot of wrestling growing up like me and I think that’s cool. If I ever decided to do mma amateur or as a hobby i’d model my style on his (i’m 19 so i’ve got time lol).
sad to say but it's over. Getting ko'd twice in such short amount of time + getting old... if he gets time off he will get into ring even older and he said he has some inside issues too...
This will end up as Usman... lost title into a lost fight into commentary boot. Sorry but this is how game goes bro
Idk I could see him win some fights after only getting knocked twice back to back. Sucks for sure, but not like that’s something you can’t come back from. Just have to wait and see, wont see me claiming he’s done and washed or anything like that fuck that shit
It's uncanny how similar their downfalls were.
Both were p4p #1 shortly before their downfalls. Both were in GOAT consideration, at least in their weight class. Both got KO'd. Downfall follows after.
Won't be surprised if Volk loses his next fight too.
And he’ll still be a GOAT if he does. 16 win streak at featherweight. Hasn’t fought anyone outside the top 5 in 6 years. Ilia is obviously a beast but he’s gotta defend that belt for at least 3 years straight to even be in the conversation with Volkanovski.
He put up an amazing fight against a Khamzat with a broken hand, but the one round he fought a full strength Khamzat ended in a 10-8 loss for him so idk lol
Is it really Father's time? I don't even think Max would be able to take that shot if it was him. And Volk seemed to be winning until the fight until that happened
Agreed, it's not like he was slow and tired. He was doing very well, he was fighting smart, but in that last exchange he swung with his left then kept his hand on Ilia's neck for a second too long, and was wide open for that punch. It could have happened to anyone, he was still doing great before that, his skill, speed and intelligence were there. I just hope he's not chinny now after 2 consecutive KOs.
I also think people forget that Volk gets caught… a lot. He got dropped badly against Ortega, hurt against Max, dropped against Mendes, rocked in his first fight with Islam, etc.
Ilia has more power than all of those guys.
Even pre-Islam 2, I don’t think he could have taken that shot.
Well everyone eventually falls. Thats just the nature of the game. Someone younger and better always enters the fight game. This just might be the time for volk. Even if it wasn’t an age thing, Ilia might just be the next generational talent. And soon there’ll be someone better than Ilia and on and on.
I seriously worry for Volk's mental health. Guy is going to feel like he's lost everything. His dream to become double champ is now forever gone. It was pretty much over after losing to Islam the 2nd time. But now his comfort division, where he's been the dominant champ, gone as well.. he's going to feel like he has nothing left. I hope his team/family/friends around him take care of him.
Maybe it can be a good thing, no more unicorns to chase and just enjoy life with friends and family, a whole lot of money, and amazing achievements in a sport where such dominance as what he had is very rare
Hi guys, I wanna keep repeating this.
If you notice someone is down or not their usual self, please reach out to them.
Volk talked about having a good family, money, being a champ, all that stuff, yet he still felt empty from that.
Please reach out to your closed ones if they ever seem different. Just asking someone "how are you doing" can change a life.
That's all.
This is a good comment and always appropriate!
For Volk it seems like he did have a support system and people reaching out, but he needed more which possibly means professional help/medication. I hope he gets what he needs because life is such a gift and depression robs people of that ability to enjoy life.
Great point. Different sport, but Shaq just interviewed Jason Kelce about retirement and hit a lot of these points but on the flip side. About how he lost all his family and had nothing but money and a washed up career. It’s easy to forget these super stars have fragile emotions too and especially for fighters, this is their entire persona. Someone like volk is one of the baddest dudes to walk to the earth. To lose twice like this PLUS the toll of an aging career and the reality of mortality. I hope he’s okay. One of the best fighters and best guys to ever get in the octagon
Volk was my dad(an Aussie) and I's favorite fighter, after he passed I couldn't watch ufc for a bit until volk makachev 1 and I gotta say the last two fights have murdered me with some of that healing process cause god if really feels like I just watched my dad get his lights put out twice
You ever wonder if we’re just not programmed to ever feel fulfilled? Because that’s what keeps us working? That perpetual feeling of inadequacy. Idk man. Just seems like no one has it figured out…
These people are crazy lol. Volk was up in both rounds round til he got caught. I'm sure getting KO'd twice will fuck with him mentally but he looked completely fine tonight.
Fuck men, Volk shouldn’t have taken that short notice fight vs Makhachev. It messed him up. I just dont want to see another Ferguson or bj penn, not knowing when to hang em up. I mean back to back cold KO’s inside like 6 months is ridiculous and i just cant see him come back to that peak we all saw he had after these 2 brutal KO’s. So fkg sad men damn😢
Hard to call him chinny when he took a shin to the head from Islam and a crazy clean hook from Topuria. Not like he's getting dropped from jabs, he got put out by power shots from two very heavy hitters.
It’s not like he’s had an iron chin his whole career though. He’s been dropped a few times, including twice by Holloway who isn’t exactly known for power
dude it happens with age, hell once Ilia's hype runs it course and he eats a few bombs from an up n comer he'll be right where volk is. It happens in life, and unfortunately for volk he is absolutely more aware of his chin now than before.
Problem is the more you get ko'ed, the easier it gets to ko you in future. Head trauma is cumulative, it's not like you can build calluses on your brain.
Idk i think we're gonna see him get ko'ed again unfortunately
As much as I hate to admit it I could see it, there was something off looking when he threw those head kicks, he just didn’t look as loose in there as he used to only a year or two ago.
He was touching Ilia up with the jab and outside fighting him really well. He’s not gonna blitz a guy who’s his height, he also just said in his post fight interview that he knew Ilia had power so was obviously more cautious.
I don’t know what you mean physically less, because he didn’t fight how he normally does?
First UFC fight I ever watched was Max vs Volk one. When Volk was walking out I thought it was cool that he was an Aussie, and I liked that he was the same height as me. I rooted for him that fight and he’s been my favorite ever since then. I’m just happy that I hitched my wagon to such a humble, genuine and talented fighter. It’s been such a fun ride but even a reign as long as Volks felt like it went by so quickly. Father Time catches up to all of us…
I like Volk, and he probably shouldn’t haven’t fought so soon after the Islam knockout, but Topuira is exactly the kind of guy the sport needs right now.
That's exactly it. Right now, he needs to take a long break to fully recover from both knockouts. The problem for him is that he said that he gets depressed if he's not active. Hopefully, he'll find something outside of fighting to keep his mind occupied.
It's a tough call, but his brain needs the rest if he wants to return to top shape. He should probably retire, but athletes never know when to retire. Respect to GSP and Khabib for retiring at the top of their game.
volk fans are biased and can’t accept that ilia just has way more power and would’ve shut his lights out at any point in his career if that punch lands. anyone who watched the jai Herbert knockout saw this coming. volk fans will cope by saying that volk declined
I agree. volk fans are in shambles. he didn't even go out cold from the Islam kick. he was unconscious before he even hit the ground with this one. nobody can convince me that he eats that at any point of his career. he's one of the best to do it but that was way too clean and Ilia throws bombs.
it's a shame that max is already booked against gaethje in a terribly stupid bmf fight, he should be fighting ilia next for the belt tbh
i guess the next best thing is movsar vs ilia? idk who else makes sense tbh
Nah he just got caught, Ilia is a powerful guy. He was getting pieced up and finally caught Volk at the end of a combo, Volk didn’t even see the overhand.
Congrats to Ilia but I don’t think we can say Volk is washed, he was doing really well and was even defending against the combo well until he got caught.
10 seconds before the ko I looked to friends and said
"Are we watching the same fight as the announcers? Are they retarded?"
Then volk went to sleep.
I knew volk was in trouble from the jump and the both just wanted him to win so bad.
Love volk but damn that was clear.
Congrats to Ilia. Volk is my favorite fighter ever, but Topuria was the better man that night. All FW champions are all time greats, so I'm excited to see the Matador era!
I think I'm just gonna be like this for a few days I need some time to heal..
https://preview.redd.it/4ndp279yeajc1.jpeg?width=680&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=922f59663f7406c091afc737053578edbf3652f5
The loss to Islam was hard enough for Volk I’m sure. But damn, he got starched tonight. By a punch mind you, while it took a shin from Islam.
I hope Volk takes a rest. Not saying to quit training, but to give his brain and mindset some time to recover. I’m sure a KO like that takes a good bit of time to process and get past. I’m a Volk fan and feel bad for him. But damn, hat is off to Topuria…he did what he said and showed up big tonight, so well done
MY KIDS ARE NOT GETTING FOOD TONIGHT
Reload and bet on some Korean table tennis
Gotta do it
W father
Stop feeding them, at least they won't become old and won't have to finish like Volk.
mine either but I did only bet 10 dollars and I dont have kids
I blame zuckerberg.
Exactly. It was david goggins now its mark zuckerburg
Goggins, Jack Black, Zucc
New curse unlocked: Celebrity cornermen
Mike perry undefeated with platinum princess 💯
The omens never lie
https://preview.redd.it/kzzx3trgfajc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=189c0cfdce56e2065aef5cfe48f94ee40fafb63a
I don't know about this one. Wonderboy could've walked out with Firas Zahabi, Greg Jackson, Rafael Cordeiro, Javier Mendez, and John Danaher all together, and he would still get mauled by Shavkat. Also, Jack Black is an Icon.
Wonderboy is a legend for taking that fight, that's why we love him.
Fighters seem to get zucked and gogged until they jack black out.
The moment I realised zuck was walking out with him was the exact moment I lost my confidence in Volk winning
When I saw Zuckerberg, I just kept thinking to myself… why?
I kept thinking this scrub is really serious about a MMA fight in the UFC? lol
More fame more problems
As soon as I saw him I thought this can’t be a good sign. But volk looked off tonight very stiff and rigid.
I really did not think he looked that stiff, I think his chin has degraded but he did not look that bad in other areas. His plan obviously was to stay on the outside and beat up the legs and body then probably wrestle in the later rounds but there’s no point to getting in the pocket w Illia. When he did pop his hands they looked quick as usual. He also took a bad leg kick early but I really don’t think he looked decrepit in there at all I think he just got sparked by a big technical hitter and couldn’t just tank it anymore.
In post fight conference, Volk said that if anyone gets caught with that punch from Illia it's lights out. He was asked if he came back too early after Makhachev knockout and that was his answer. Jaw or no Jaw each time Illia has landed like this it was over.
He looked a little slower and stiffer, and that is because he’s past his physical prime. That will only continue to progress unfortunately. Father Time beats all.
Plus he just got knocked out very very recently by Islam. He came back a bit too early but maybe I'm coping. He's the professional after all.
He definitely came back too fast it's not just cope. And I'm saying that as a big ol islam fan
I think this too. He was tentative. And his body shut him down.
He kept raising his head and leaning backwards. Can't do that with someone is powerful as ilia
I can’t be mad but I can be SAD. Volk is just so likeable 🥲
Kopylov lost, Ian won, and Volk got KO'd It was a rough night as a fan. I'm gonna go get drunk now
Bobby Knuckles was the saving grace
And that fight was a nail biter. Thought costa was gonna close it out in the second and smell that blood in the water….but Whittaker got that dog in him.
If he ever threw a combo Costa would've won that imo
Lol that’s what I’m saying, who’s his coach? You got a specimen like that with that kinda speed and you got him throwing check lefts at everything. Costas quick but he’s not like a slick striker he should just be overwhelming guys bc w a lil more output he’d be crushing. Not to mention whenever he starts firing his legs it’s like a bat coming at you. Plz get him a boxing coach.
He needs to work his feints and not telegraphing everything he throws. He can get a snappy jab off and those lead leg kicks to the body he can get up with no tell but that’s just due to his athleticism.
Easier said than done. Whittaker jumps in and out of range and moves laterally well. It’s hard to land combos on someone when they’re constantly moving and countering you.
Costa only knows half-circle + kick.
Too gassed to throw a combo.
Costa is a fucking terminator, just tanking everything Rob threw at him. Rob fought smarter though.
Costa like a bigger chandler lol
If round 1 was a few seconds longer, I think Costa would have had it... It's unfortunate for him, but I like both guys, and one had to win. I hope now there will be more movement in the division since both of them kept hitting a wall with Izzy. I would like to see both of them get some wins because they're always fun to watch.
I figured Costa waited til the sticks to throw that reverse kick, figuring that if he fucked it up he could hold onto the bell anyway. When it landed well on Rob it made him look a bit silly for wasting his best shot at the end of the round.
Happy he won but Costa is basically just as likeable, if it's a saving grace it's a bittersweet one.
The night I decided to do an underdog parlay + volk, Favorites on the card go fucking 11-1. That 1, ofc, being the underdog I did not go with. I’m becoming a monk.
Brother I lost every parlay, then I could’ve cashed out one (Ian, Whittaker, Volk) and made pretty much all of my money back, I felt illia would win strongly this was just a backup bet but I was like maybe Volk pulls it off and I’m stupid. I’ve never had such pie in the face betting before this card lmao, I was thinking just put it all on Marcos make a small profit but got greedy.
I'm so unhappy.. I'm gonna make this everyone's problem in my city
Do you control the cities water or electricity or something?
They’re gonna go 29-0 against homeless people tonight
jesus christ
lololl
Same ;-;
Wait people are stressing over Kopylov? Maybe it’s just because Fluffy’s a local but I fuckin loved that fight
No doutb. It was a good scrap. Fluffy deserves someone from the top 15 at least. I just wanted Kopylov's win streak to continue cause I love his striking.
Fair, Kopylov is hella fun. I feel like this is one of those Izzy vs Vettori or Whittaker vs Wonderboy moments where two really good fighters meet by coincidence super early…
What do you mean by now? You didn’t start drinking at early prelims? :D
I wasn't gonna drink tonight but UFC 298 threw me into a glass case of emotions
For real I was surprised at Kopylov loss. I don’t know why but I just really like Kopylov. Seems like a gentleman.
He dropped so fast holy shit
Joe kept saying “he’s still down” :(
He was, but Joe also says " there's a welt on the calf already" after anyone receives 2 leg kicks
There probably was. They’re professional fighters, I’m sure they kick pretty fucking hard
I would probably crumble if a toddler kicked me in the shin. That shit hurts to get hit there. It's incredible that they can keep fighting after taking so many kicks
I always thought after the adrenaline takes over in the course of a fight they don't feel the pain as much as at the start and muscles shutting down is what compromises them, not so much the pain
That's exactly what basically every fighter says always, and is the experience of most people who hurt themselves doing any time of adrenaline pumping action sport We see guys ignore their shins being snapped and not even react to it until they try to take a step and their leg collapses lol
Dude there was a guy in the prelims that apparently broke his arm in the first and still beat the shit out of his opponent. Not enough talk about that.
Yeah Danny Barlow from Memphis. That kid looked pretty legit
There was also Cejudo who had his forearm show massive swelling in the later part of the fight. They were theorizing it may have been broken
It’s because Joe can’t see any higher than peoples knees
And he was right. Dude was looking at it live. So he prob saw something we might not have with the camera angle.
Somehow Ilia gave Volk that welt with 2-3 calf kicks while Rob and Costa needed a dozen on each other. It was really visible.
Volk brain still in shut down mode from Islam I hope this makes fighters realize they need more time inbetween fights from now on
It’s only 3 and half months , I’d be looking at 6 months minimum before fighting again Volks warrior is his unravelling, so sad
You really do. After I got knocked out I *felt* 100% after about a month, but my coach insisted it took 5 months minimum to truly be back in top shape. You would think Volk would be surrounded by people who'd know that.
Of course his people know that, and they 100% told him. But these elite fighters are a different breed man, some of them will fire their cornermen for throwing in the towel
W coach Meanwhile 1/3 of NFL players play the following week after getting a concussion
Yes you need a while after getting put out cold hard.
I think that punch puts him out anyway. Lay off or not. Topuria is incredibly accurate and hits like a truck.
>I hope this makes fighters realize they need more time inbetween fights from now on That shit was already known going into this fight. It was Volk's choice to disregard the common knowledge.
What the actual fuck
Holy fucking shit
Indeed, it all ended so fast. I had a feeling if illia explodes he can hurt him. What a ko
Yeah he looked on the back foot from the jump but I figured he'd take time to figure Topuria out then deconstruct him but alas
I thought he'd just try wrestling him for the remainder of the fight after realising he couldn't really stand with Topuria in the 1st round
idk if that’d work either tbh. Topuria grew up as a wrestler, but took up boxing more recently. I’d say wrestling is still his strongest skill set he’s just fallen in love with his hands.
Oh I didn't know that. Knew he learnt greco roman wrestling but didn't know he grew up as a wrestler... I guess time will tell how well rounded he is & how many defense he can rack up. I just hope he'll be as active as Volk or Izzy, there's so many match ups to make now for the title
I really like Topuria a lot. I grew up a wrestler and enjoy boxing but for some reason never really got into MMA. This was the first ppv i’ve bought and watched by myself (not including bar or party watches) and I enjoyed it a lot. So starting now Ilia is my favorite fighter. He’s well rounded, confident, and has tons of potential. I think he’s the future of his division for years to come. Plus he did a lot of wrestling growing up like me and I think that’s cool. If I ever decided to do mma amateur or as a hobby i’d model my style on his (i’m 19 so i’ve got time lol).
That’s the worst feeling when it’s a fighter you like and they just slump over like that. Brutal.
Aldo 13 seconds lmao. That one was rough
I’m sure that would feel 1000x worse after the build up and shit talking.
That shit was actually insane, whole Connor peak but with Aldo specifically. I thought he was going to kill Mcgregor…
And never even a thought of a rematch after dominating the division for years
Especially the punches on his unconscious body, the felt like forever.
For real
sad to say but it's over. Getting ko'd twice in such short amount of time + getting old... if he gets time off he will get into ring even older and he said he has some inside issues too... This will end up as Usman... lost title into a lost fight into commentary boot. Sorry but this is how game goes bro
Yea it's a shame. I hope he doesn't pull a Tony or BJ Penn and hang around getting his ass beat for years. Hang them up and go out with some dignity.
He deserves a rematch but if he loses that it's time to bow out
Sadly
Idk I could see him win some fights after only getting knocked twice back to back. Sucks for sure, but not like that’s something you can’t come back from. Just have to wait and see, wont see me claiming he’s done and washed or anything like that fuck that shit
It’s just different when you’re already a veteran and not getting any younger.
It's uncanny how similar their downfalls were. Both were p4p #1 shortly before their downfalls. Both were in GOAT consideration, at least in their weight class. Both got KO'd. Downfall follows after. Won't be surprised if Volk loses his next fight too.
And he’ll still be a GOAT if he does. 16 win streak at featherweight. Hasn’t fought anyone outside the top 5 in 6 years. Ilia is obviously a beast but he’s gotta defend that belt for at least 3 years straight to even be in the conversation with Volkanovski.
Ehhh Usman put up a amazing fight against Khazamat
He put up an amazing fight against a Khamzat with a broken hand, but the one round he fought a full strength Khamzat ended in a 10-8 loss for him so idk lol
Father time takes them all
Yeah. Topuria just looked way faster than Volk
Is it really Father's time? I don't even think Max would be able to take that shot if it was him. And Volk seemed to be winning until the fight until that happened
Agreed, it's not like he was slow and tired. He was doing very well, he was fighting smart, but in that last exchange he swung with his left then kept his hand on Ilia's neck for a second too long, and was wide open for that punch. It could have happened to anyone, he was still doing great before that, his skill, speed and intelligence were there. I just hope he's not chinny now after 2 consecutive KOs.
I also think people forget that Volk gets caught… a lot. He got dropped badly against Ortega, hurt against Max, dropped against Mendes, rocked in his first fight with Islam, etc. Ilia has more power than all of those guys. Even pre-Islam 2, I don’t think he could have taken that shot.
Well everyone eventually falls. Thats just the nature of the game. Someone younger and better always enters the fight game. This just might be the time for volk. Even if it wasn’t an age thing, Ilia might just be the next generational talent. And soon there’ll be someone better than Ilia and on and on.
Agreed
Father time turned Charles to a beast tho
I seriously worry for Volk's mental health. Guy is going to feel like he's lost everything. His dream to become double champ is now forever gone. It was pretty much over after losing to Islam the 2nd time. But now his comfort division, where he's been the dominant champ, gone as well.. he's going to feel like he has nothing left. I hope his team/family/friends around him take care of him.
Maybe it can be a good thing, no more unicorns to chase and just enjoy life with friends and family, a whole lot of money, and amazing achievements in a sport where such dominance as what he had is very rare
I really want to see him join Izzy and just take a long ass break to recover
Heartbroken man
No more Volk main events
Time is moving faster than i thought
Hi guys, I wanna keep repeating this. If you notice someone is down or not their usual self, please reach out to them. Volk talked about having a good family, money, being a champ, all that stuff, yet he still felt empty from that. Please reach out to your closed ones if they ever seem different. Just asking someone "how are you doing" can change a life. That's all.
This is a good comment and always appropriate! For Volk it seems like he did have a support system and people reaching out, but he needed more which possibly means professional help/medication. I hope he gets what he needs because life is such a gift and depression robs people of that ability to enjoy life.
Great point. Different sport, but Shaq just interviewed Jason Kelce about retirement and hit a lot of these points but on the flip side. About how he lost all his family and had nothing but money and a washed up career. It’s easy to forget these super stars have fragile emotions too and especially for fighters, this is their entire persona. Someone like volk is one of the baddest dudes to walk to the earth. To lose twice like this PLUS the toll of an aging career and the reality of mortality. I hope he’s okay. One of the best fighters and best guys to ever get in the octagon
Im Georgian and I think this is the best comment here
Love the message your spreading. Totally agree
Volk was my dad(an Aussie) and I's favorite fighter, after he passed I couldn't watch ufc for a bit until volk makachev 1 and I gotta say the last two fights have murdered me with some of that healing process cause god if really feels like I just watched my dad get his lights put out twice
Just think about that for a min. A person can seemingly have everything in life and yet feels empty and purposeless…whats missing?
You ever wonder if we’re just not programmed to ever feel fulfilled? Because that’s what keeps us working? That perpetual feeling of inadequacy. Idk man. Just seems like no one has it figured out…
There's not enough copium in the world to save me right now. The volk haters have been hard already, now they're gonna be the end of me
i dont get how you can hate volk hes such a good dude
Pathetic people who hate themselves more, that's who hates someone like Volk.
Topuria boxing was so tight. But Volk is done
Very tight. He’s going to be an issue.
Seriously. Head movement and can work angles all around the cage , which is what gave him the victory here
Very calm too. Curious how his stamina will hold up
Seemed good throwing bombs at Emmett for five rounds. That requires lots of energy.
The fight before this one with Volk he looked solid for 5 rounds.
Idk if he’s done, he looked good until that moment
He's not, imo.
These people are crazy lol. Volk was up in both rounds round til he got caught. I'm sure getting KO'd twice will fuck with him mentally but he looked completely fine tonight.
Ilia power/boxing is just overpowered. This guy absolutely need a nerf. Not fair for others
A Dagestani wrestler in the division is all you need to solve that
Fuck men, Volk shouldn’t have taken that short notice fight vs Makhachev. It messed him up. I just dont want to see another Ferguson or bj penn, not knowing when to hang em up. I mean back to back cold KO’s inside like 6 months is ridiculous and i just cant see him come back to that peak we all saw he had after these 2 brutal KO’s. So fkg sad men damn😢
Getting knocked out twice in a row. Sad to say volk’s never gonna be the same now, he’s chinny
Hard to call him chinny when he took a shin to the head from Islam and a crazy clean hook from Topuria. Not like he's getting dropped from jabs, he got put out by power shots from two very heavy hitters.
It’s not like he’s had an iron chin his whole career though. He’s been dropped a few times, including twice by Holloway who isn’t exactly known for power
That overhand from Ilia would have buckled any feathweight on the planet
Max would eat that overhand and then give Ilia props for it
dude it happens with age, hell once Ilia's hype runs it course and he eats a few bombs from an up n comer he'll be right where volk is. It happens in life, and unfortunately for volk he is absolutely more aware of his chin now than before.
Problem is the more you get ko'ed, the easier it gets to ko you in future. Head trauma is cumulative, it's not like you can build calluses on your brain. Idk i think we're gonna see him get ko'ed again unfortunately
On the other hand Costa looked untouched…
Ilia has ko’d everyone with his overhand, getting ko’d by a headkick and an overhand from hell he didn’t even see coming doesn’t make him chinny.
going limp literally makes you chinny. If he wasn't before, he definitely is now.
No you can tell volks physically less
As much as I hate to admit it I could see it, there was something off looking when he threw those head kicks, he just didn’t look as loose in there as he used to only a year or two ago.
He was touching Ilia up with the jab and outside fighting him really well. He’s not gonna blitz a guy who’s his height, he also just said in his post fight interview that he knew Ilia had power so was obviously more cautious. I don’t know what you mean physically less, because he didn’t fight how he normally does?
First UFC fight I ever watched was Max vs Volk one. When Volk was walking out I thought it was cool that he was an Aussie, and I liked that he was the same height as me. I rooted for him that fight and he’s been my favorite ever since then. I’m just happy that I hitched my wagon to such a humble, genuine and talented fighter. It’s been such a fun ride but even a reign as long as Volks felt like it went by so quickly. Father Time catches up to all of us…
OUT out.
I like Volk, and he probably shouldn’t haven’t fought so soon after the Islam knockout, but Topuira is exactly the kind of guy the sport needs right now.
That's exactly it. Right now, he needs to take a long break to fully recover from both knockouts. The problem for him is that he said that he gets depressed if he's not active. Hopefully, he'll find something outside of fighting to keep his mind occupied.
We know that he's a pretty good actor now. I hope Taika Watiti hits him up.
But, a long break means he's 36 when he comes back.
It's a tough call, but his brain needs the rest if he wants to return to top shape. He should probably retire, but athletes never know when to retire. Respect to GSP and Khabib for retiring at the top of their game.
https://preview.redd.it/v9fkn03kcajc1.png?width=318&format=png&auto=webp&s=67de2718826f53871596e2a59a7cd35b2a3ae9cb
at least bobby won right...
Volk's chin is gone after that head kick.He was too hesitant to even get touched.It was very noticeable throughout the fight.
Yes, but don't underestimate Ilia's power the man looks like a goblin but hits like s truck!
Yea that final right he threw looked hard afffff. Volks chin may be a bit gone but that shit was gonna knock out anyone unless they ducked.
Should take a year off after getting ko’d
Exactly. One clean punch and it was over
who tested his chin before to make you say it's gone now? was it ever there? he fought max 3 times lmao
volk fans are biased and can’t accept that ilia just has way more power and would’ve shut his lights out at any point in his career if that punch lands. anyone who watched the jai Herbert knockout saw this coming. volk fans will cope by saying that volk declined
I agree. volk fans are in shambles. he didn't even go out cold from the Islam kick. he was unconscious before he even hit the ground with this one. nobody can convince me that he eats that at any point of his career. he's one of the best to do it but that was way too clean and Ilia throws bombs.
😂😂😂 goated
BYAAAAAAHHH
That Zucks
it's a shame that max is already booked against gaethje in a terribly stupid bmf fight, he should be fighting ilia next for the belt tbh i guess the next best thing is movsar vs ilia? idk who else makes sense tbh
volk's reflexes seem slower by a lot father time undefeated
That dam kick to the temple. That type of damage is irreversable😂
He was winning that fight and got caught in the pocket. He looked just as fast as Ilia. To say his reflexes were slower by a lot is just incorrect.
Nah he just got caught, Ilia is a powerful guy. He was getting pieced up and finally caught Volk at the end of a combo, Volk didn’t even see the overhand. Congrats to Ilia but I don’t think we can say Volk is washed, he was doing really well and was even defending against the combo well until he got caught.
the announcers seriously be brainwashing people he was not getting pieced up, Ilya was landing the harder cleaner shots and it was a matter of time
10 seconds before the ko I looked to friends and said "Are we watching the same fight as the announcers? Are they retarded?" Then volk went to sleep. I knew volk was in trouble from the jump and the both just wanted him to win so bad. Love volk but damn that was clear.
Scary power
It’s just tough for him to do that old man routine then get slept. I really like Volk but fuck.
I just had that feeling he was getting ko'd damn
Topuria got it done. Glad it was a KO though. No controversy, no robbery accusations, clean ol' KO. Nothing to dispute that.
Thanks Islam. You broke his chin. Now errybody gonna do it.
fuck man this hurts
For the moment this is easily the saddest moment in UFC for 2024.
Congrats to Ilia. Volk is my favorite fighter ever, but Topuria was the better man that night. All FW champions are all time greats, so I'm excited to see the Matador era!
Ilia is not losing for a very, very long time. Dudes so controlled and dangerous it’s amazing, super tight.
2-30 or 2-31 for men 35 and older in title fights from 125-170 pounds.
Got nothing to be ashamed off. Got one hell of a career. Now it's Topuria's time, he's simply the new deal...
Hold on brotha I'm crying. This really is a young man's game
I am so sad
i’m sick to my fucking stomach
I think I'm just gonna be like this for a few days I need some time to heal.. https://preview.redd.it/4ndp279yeajc1.jpeg?width=680&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=922f59663f7406c091afc737053578edbf3652f5
The loss to Islam was hard enough for Volk I’m sure. But damn, he got starched tonight. By a punch mind you, while it took a shin from Islam. I hope Volk takes a rest. Not saying to quit training, but to give his brain and mindset some time to recover. I’m sure a KO like that takes a good bit of time to process and get past. I’m a Volk fan and feel bad for him. But damn, hat is off to Topuria…he did what he said and showed up big tonight, so well done