Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria, is expected to vacate his 145-pound title and move up to the lightweight division later this year. While his first opponent has yet to be revealed, all signs point to 155-pound kingpin, Islam Makhachev, at the upcoming UFC 317 pay-per-view (PPV) event during International Fight Week in Las Vegas.
The bookies at BetOnline.ag opened Topuria as the +220 betting underdog against -280 for Makhachev. “El Matador” boasts a resume that includes knockout wins over UFC legends like Alex Volkanovski and Max Holloway, among others, but Makhachev is ranked No. 1 in the world on the promotion’s pound-for-pound chart and holds advantages over Topuria in both height and reach.
Nothing is official at this time and the promotion is still working out the finer details. In addition, the moneyline for Topuria vs. Makhachev will likely shift (in both directions) once the bout gets signed and we inch closer to fight night. That said, the biggest question heading into UFC 317, assuming all things continue as planned, is how “El Matador” will handle Makhachev’s wrestling.
With Topuria departing the 145-pound weight class, former division champion, Alex Volkanovski, will face off against red-hot contender, Diego Lopes, for the undisputed title. Their five-round headliner is locked and loaded for the UFC 314 fight card on April 12 in Miami, a lineup that also features the five-round lightweight showdown pitting Michael Chandler against Paddy Pimblett.