Ilia Topuria: Michael Bisping predicts new champion will dominate featherweight division after UFC 298 win

Ilia Topuria can dominate the UFC featherweight division "for quite some time", believes TNT Sports expert and former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping.

Topuria became the new featherweight world champion after stunning Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in California.

The 27-year-old, who moved to Spain when he was 15, ended the contest with a remarkable knockout in the second round, bringing his record to 15-0-0.

"He [Topuria] put himself under a lot of pressure all week, talking about finishing him in the first round," Bisping said on the UFC Review Show.

"Being respectful of Volkanovski of course, but believing in himself. He certainly did conceive, believe, achieve and show everyone in the audience up.

"Topuria is phenomenal in every facet of mixed martial arts. No matter where the fight goes, he's an expert, as simple as that. He's trained his entire life and you could see that."

Bisping added: "I don't like saying it but he folded Volkanovski like a lawn chair, he was down, he was out. And he was out for quite some time.

"That was a vicious knockout. Topuria was sensational, lived up to the hype, and I'm telling you, we've got something special on our hands. I think he's going to reign that featherweight division for quite some time."

Fellow TNT Sports expert Nick Peet agreed with Bisping’s assessment, saying: "It was just absolutely ruthless. He talked the talk and he absolutely walked the walk when it mattered most."

With Topuria eliciting support from both Georgian and Spanish fans, UFC President Dana White hinted at staging his next fight at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

"They want to fight at the Bernabeu, it's just absolutely phenomenal," Peet enthused. "I feel like we've turned the chapter of a page in the history of this sport. He was so good.

"Let's not forget, 18 months ago, Volkanovski was, pound for pound, the best fighter on the planet. And last night he got disposed of, and disposed of in style by the next generation. Incredible."

It was Volkanovski’s second loss in a row, and his third over the past 12 months, but the 35-year-old insisted he would be up for a rematch against Topuria in Spain.

"Personally I think he needs a rest," Peet said. "He's been incredibly active and we love that about him.

"But losing is a habit, and getting knocked out is a habit. He needs to break that cycle now.

"He’s got a young family. I'd love to see Volkanovski go away for six, maybe even nine, maybe even 12 months off and then come back.

"We know he's super fit. We know he's got the skill there. He's just got to break the habit now of losing and losing by knockout, because it's a slippery slope he's on at the moment.

"He knows he’s got a handful of fights left. He needs to preserve what he's got left and come back stronger than ever."

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