Less than 50 days removed from his first featherweight title defense, Ilia Topuria is ready to move on.
In October, ‘El Matador’ viciously KO’d the UFC’s baddest motherf*cker Max Holloway in Abu Dhabi and appeared to be on track for a rematch with Alexander Volkanovski in 2025. However, that may no longer be the case after Topuria said in no uncertain terms that he’s officially done competing in the weight class.
“Yes, for sure. Definitely yes,” Topuria told the El Partidazo de Cadena Cope podcast when asked if the Holloway fight was his last time competing at 145.
It’s a little surprising to hear that Topuria is already plotting an exit from the weight class with fresh matchups against top-five-ranked contenders like Diego Lopes and Movsar Evloev available.
Instead, ‘El Matador’ appears to have his sights set on becoming a two-division champion before walking away from the organization in a few short years.
“We need to talk about it and take a look at my future, but for me, it’s very clear how I want to do it,” Topuria said. “I’d like to move up to the next weight class, and since Islam [Makhachev] is the champion fighting in January, and he won’t be ready for April or May, I’d like to fight against the No. 1 contender right now, who’s Charles Oliveira… I’m 27; I hope to be out by 30.”
Ilia Topuria says he's moving up to lightweight
Interviewer: "Is it possible that we have already seen your last featherweight fight?"
Ilia: "Yes, for sure."
Interviewer: "You are moving to lightweight"
*Ilia nods*
(via. @partidazocope)pic.twitter.com/1i5V4PIb79
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 9, 2024
Islam Makhachev not interested in a fight with ilia topuria
Unfortunately for Ilia Topuria, the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ doesn’t seem too interested in fighting him.
“We’ll fight if we have to,” Makhachev told MatchTV. “In terms of my fighting career, I’m not interested in fighting Topuria at all. He’s in a different weight class. I’ll beat him, and what will that do for me? I won’t win another belt. Everyone will once again say that I beat a Featherweight. That’s it. But, if people really want to see him lose, then we can do it.”
After securing a fifth-round submission victory over Dustin Poirier in June, Makahachev will be back in action on January 18 to defend his lightweight title against the division’s No. 1 contender, Arman Tsarukyan.
The two previously met in April 2019 when Tsarukyan was making his UFC debut. Makhachev won that bout via unanimous decision in the middle of what has turned out to be a 14-fight win streak dating back to his third appearance with the promotion nearly a decade ago.
