Alexander Volkanovski’s featherweight title reign came to a crashing end when Ilia Topuria connected with a vicious right hand that forced Volkanovski to collapse in an instant.

Topuria (15-0) followed with a crushing combination of punches on the fallen Volkanovski (26-4), and the fight was called off at the 3:32 mark of the second round at UFC 298.

Topuria — a German-born Georgian now based in Spain — is the UFC’s new 145-pound champion.

Unbeaten Ilia Topuria stopped Alexander Volkanovski in the second round to claim the featherweight title at UFC 298 on Saturday night, ending the Australian champion’s four-year reign.

Topuria (15-0), a Georgian who lives and trains in Spain, controlled the first round of his first UFC title fight with sharp striking before he sensationally finished off Volkanovski with more of the same.

Topuria staggered the 35-year-old Volkanovski to the cage with a left-right combination before putting him on the canvas with a perfect right hand followed by a big left. Topuria finished the stunned champion on the ground with 1:28 left, improving to 7-0 since joining the UFC in late 2020.

“I feel so happy right now,” Topuria said. “They told me I couldn’t do it. ... Just trust yourself, and anything is possible. Just look at me now.”

Volkanovski (26-4) had made five consecutive successful title defenses since winning his belt in late 2019, but his reign ended with his first featherweight loss in UFC competition. Volkanovski also lost twice in the past year to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in a failed bid to become a two-division champ, and he didn’t show his usual relentless work rate against Topuria before the fight abruptly ended.

Topuria perfectly seized a moment several years in the making. He had stormed to the top of the list contenders for Volkanovski’s belt with six consecutive UFC victories in less than three years, capped by a blowout decision over Josh Emmett last summer.

Topuria didn’t lack for confidence during the promotion of this fight. He repeatedly spoke of Volkanovski’s reign in the past tense, and he even swiped the title belt off the table in front of Volkanovski at their news conference Thursday.

Volkanovski showed up to that event dressed like an old man, lampooning the notion he was too old to compete with the 27-year-old Topuria.

Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg walked out with Volkanovski and wore the champ’s cornermen’s gear in his front-row seat at the sold-out Honda Center.