Ilia Topuria knocks out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 - ESPN

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The new generation of the UFC featherweight division is here, in the form of a multicultural, multilingual European who has roots in Georgia, Spain and Germany.

The undefeated Ilia Topuria knocked out Alexander Volkanovski, arguably the best featherweight in MMA history, with a lethal combination in the second round to become the UFC featherweight champion in the main event of UFC 298 on Saturday night here at Honda Center. The time of the finish was 3 minutes, 32 seconds.

«Guess what? The only person that has your back in this life is yourself,» Topuria said in his postfight interview. «Just trust yourself… and everything is possible. Look at me now. Look.»

All week, Topuria was saying he would knock Volkanovski out in the second round, which many thought was unlikely given the incumbent champion's legacy. Meanwhile, Volkanovski's battle was also against time. No male fighter at 145 pounds had ever won a title fight in UFC history after his 35th birthday. Volkanovski turned 35 last September.

«It doesn't matter where you come from, it's where you're going,» Topuria said. «It's more important what's in front of you than what's behind you.»

Topuria was born in Germany to parents of Georgian descent. His family moved back to the Republic of Georgia when he was young, and then later to Alicante, Spain. Topuria lives and trains in Spain — his nickname is «El Matador» — but also represents Georgia.

Afterward, Topuria called out Conor McGregor, saying, «I'm waiting for you in Spain.»

Coming in, ESPN had Volkanovski ranked No. 3 in the world on its pound-for-pound list. At featherweight, ESPN had Volkanovski No. 1 and Topuria at No. 5.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg walked out for the fight with Volkanovski.

Topuria