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UFC Featherweight Says Ilia Topuria Won’t Last at Lightweight, Will Be Back to 145 in Late 2025

UFC Featherweight Says Ilia Topuria Won't Last at Lightweight, Will Be Back to 145 in Late 2025 Not everyone is convinced that Ilia Topuria’s voyage into the lightweight division will last. On Wednesday, UFC CEO Dana…

Not everyone is convinced that Ilia Topuria’s voyage into the lightweight division will last.

On Wednesday, UFC CEO Dana White announced that Topuria had officially vacated his featherweight title and would be moving up to 155, presumably for a future fight with the division’s reigning champion, Islam Makhachev. As a result, former featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski will meet surging contender Diego Lopes at UFC 314 for the vacated 145-pound strap when the promotion heads back to Miami on Saturday, April 12.

However, not everyone is convinced that Topuria’s move up will be permanent. Reacting to the news on social media, tenth-ranked featherweight contender Lerone Murphy suggested that ‘El Matador’ will be back at 145 by the end of 2025.

“Also Topuria will be back at featherweight at the end of the year I think,” Murphy wrote on X.

Does Ilia Topuria stand a chance against Islam makhachev?

Of course, all of that rides on how Topuria does when he inevitably steps inside the Octagon against Islam Makhachev.

No official details have been released as far as when or where that fight will go down, but Ariel Helwani said that the UFC could try to deliver on the highly anticipated showdown as early as International Fight Week in late June.

Topuria and Makhachev are without a doubt two of the most skilled fighters in the UFC today, but there’s no denying that the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ will have a massive size advantage. Many would also argue that Makhachev will have a decided advantage on the mat while Topuria may be a bit more foreboding on the feet than Khabib Nurmagomedov’s protege.

Still, Makhachev has proven himself to be more than capable of KO’ing some of the biggest names in the game, including Alexander Volkanovski—the same man Topuria beat to claim the featherweight title in February 2024.

Ilia Topuria Says Dagestani MMA Fighters Lose ‘Every Competitive Fight’ Amid Talk Of Islam Makhachev Clash

UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria continues to fan the flames of a potential rivalry with lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev. Considerable uncertainty surrounds Topuria’s next assignment. While the likes of Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes target his 145-pound gold, the Spaniard has made clear his goal of pursuing two-division glory. With that, talk of a clash […]

UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria continues to fan the flames of a potential rivalry with lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev.

Considerable uncertainty surrounds Topuria’s next assignment. While the likes of Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes target his 145-pound gold, the Spaniard has made clear his goal of pursuing two-division glory.

With that, talk of a clash with Makhachev continues to float around the mixed martial arts community and both men have frequently addressed it during interviews.

During a recent appearance on the Full Send Podcast, Topuria no doubt added further heat to the back and forth by taking aim at Makhachev and his fellow Dagestani fighters.

According to “El Matador,” fighters from the region flounder if they can’t establish their dominance early on in fights.

“None of them have special cardio and stamina. The way they do it, if you fight any of them, the thing they need when they go inside the Octagon, in the first contact, they want to feel like they’ve dominated you,” Topuria said. “They start to build their confidence off that. It’s like, ‘I can dominate you, maybe you escape, and we strike again, but I feel like I’m stronger than you.’

“If they feel like in the first contact in the first round that they can’t control you and it’s very competitive, then their head goes down.,” Topuria continued. “This is what they try to do, to beat you in the early rounds, that they can dominate you, that they are stronger than you. But when they realize that it’s not like that, most of the time, they lose those kinds of fights. All of the competitive fights they lose — all of them.”

While some might suggest that Umar Nurmagomedov’s five-round defeat to Merab Dvalishvili last month supports Topuria’s hypothesis, the bantamweight contender’s brother found a different outcome in his January outing. Usman Nurmagomedov got the better of Irish challenger Paul Hughes in their competitive main event title fight at PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai.

It remains to be seen whether Topuria will get the chance to prove his remarks right against Makhachev this year or be made to defend his featherweight belt for a second time.

Ilia Topuria Says Dagestani MMA Fighters Lose ‘Every Competitive Fight’ Amid Talk Of Islam Makhachev Clash

UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria continues to fan the flames of a potential rivalry with lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev.

With that, talk of a clash with Makhachev continues to float around the mixed martial arts community and both men have frequently addressed it during interviews.

During a recent appearance on the Full Send Podcast, Topuria no doubt added further heat to the back and forth by taking aim at Makhachev and his fellow Dagestani fighters.

According to “El Matador,” fighters from the region flounder if they can’t establish their dominance early on in fights.

“None of them have special cardio and stamina. The way they do it, if you fight any of them, the thing they need when they go inside the Octagon, in the first contact, they want to feel like they’ve dominated you,” Topuria said. “They start to build their confidence off that. It’s like, ‘I can dominate you, maybe you escape, and we strike again, but I feel like I’m stronger than you.’

“If they feel like in the first contact in the first round that they can’t control you and it’s very competitive, then their head goes down.,” Topuria continued. “This is what they try to do, to beat you in the early rounds, that they can dominate you, that they are stronger than you. But when they realize that it’s not like that, most of the time, they lose those kinds of fights. All of the competitive fights they lose — all of them.”

It remains to be seen whether Topuria will get the chance to prove his remarks right against Makhachev this year or be made to defend his featherweight belt for a second time.

Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev? Joe Rogan Says ‘Let’s Go!’ for UFC Lightweight Title

Joe Rogan is ready to see Ilia Topuria make the move to 155. 2024 was a banner year for…

Joe Rogan is ready to see Ilia Topuria make the move to 155.

2024 was a banner year for ‘El Matador.’ After claiming the featherweight title with a stunning second-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298, Topuria went on to become the first fighter to KO ex-titleholder Max Holloway in October.

Topuria has not yet booked a return to the Octagon for 2025, but all signs are currently pointing towards a champion vs. champion clash with reigning lightweight king Islam Makhachev.

It would be a pretty bold move considering Topuria only has one successful defense of his 145-pound crown, but that doesn’t really matter to the long-time UFC color commentator.

“I hope Ilia goes up to 55. I really do—to fight Volkanovski,” Rogan said during his UFC 312 fight companion podcast. “Diego Lopes at 45? I’ll take that. If Ilia goes up to 55, sh*t I don’t care if he only defended the title one time or didn’t. Who cares? Let’s go!”

Is Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria the fight to make after UFC 311?

Makhachev just scored his fourth successful defense of the lightweight title last month, landing a quick-fire submission victory over short-notice replacement opponent Renato Moicano at UFC 311 in Los Angeles. The ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ was set to defend his belt against Arman Tsarukyan in a rematch more than five years in the making, but Tsarukyan bowed out of the bout less than 48 hours away from fight night citing a back injury.

However, some believe that Tsarukyan’s withdrawal was due to a botched weight cut and not a legitimate injury.

Moicano, who was scheduled to compete at the event against Beneil Dariush, was ultimately pulled from his main card bout and thrust into the main event. It only took Makhachev four minutes to catch the Brazilian in a d’arce choke, bringing an abrupt end to their unlikely headliner.

With Tsarukyan’s title opportunity now on the back burner and Makhachev already defeating three of the top-five ranked contenders in his division, a clash with Topuria makes a lot of sense for the Dagestani.

Joe Rogan Calls For Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev Next, Says ‘Who Cares’ About Only 1 Title Defense

UFC color commentator Joe Rogan knows what he wants to see next from featherweight kingpin Ilia Topuria — and it’s not a second dance with Alexander Volkanovski. Topuria remains without a date in the calendar for his first fight of 2025, following on from a 2024 in which he dethroned Volkanovski and became the first […]

UFC color commentator Joe Rogan knows what he wants to see next from featherweight kingpin Ilia Topuria — and it’s not a second dance with Alexander Volkanovski.

Topuria remains without a date in the calendar for his first fight of 2025, following on from a 2024 in which he dethroned Volkanovski and became the first man to knock out Max Holloway.

A rematch with “Alexander the Great” was quickly tipped as the Spaniard’s next assignment after he defended the belt against “Blessed” last October. But frequent comments from Topuria and his team regarding a lightweight switch have led to some uncertainty.

Despite only defending his title once, “El Matador” has made no secret of his desire to challenge Islam Makhachev for two-division glory as soon as possible.

And for Rogan, there’s no time like the present.

“As crazy as it sounds, I hope Ilia goes up to (155 pounds). I really do,” Rogan said during his JRE Fight Companion episode for Saturday’s UFC 312 pay-per-view. “Volkanovski-Diego Lopes (at) 145, Ilia goes up to ’55. I don’t care if he only defended the title one time or didn’t, who cares. Let’s go. Let’s f*cking go.

“It’d be nice [to see him fight some of the other contenders at (featherweight), but also, who cares? Let’s go. Let’s f*cking go,” Rogan added.

Plenty is evidently left to be decided at 145 pounds, with various reports flying about Topuria vs. Volkanovski 2 and other potential bouts such as Volkanovski against the charging Diego Lopes.

Makhachev, meanwhile, remains without a next challenger to his throne after top contender Arman Tsarukyan ruled himself out by withdrawing from UFC 311 on 24 hours’ notice.

The promotion is promising something huge for the Dagestani next time out, though, perhaps boosting Topuria’s chances of securing the matchup.

Alexander Volkanovski Reacts to Ilia Topuria’s Rumored Showdown with Islam Makhachev

Alexander Volkanovski offered his reaction to renewed rumors that a fight between Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev could be…

Alexander Volkanovski offered his reaction to renewed rumors that a fight between Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev could be coming sooner rather than later.

During an interview with Fox Sports Australia, Topuria, the reigning UFC featherweight titleholder, made it clear that if he gets his wish, his next fight will be against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, which would give him the opportunity to become just the fifth fighter in UFC history to obtain champ-champ status.

“This is something that I want to do, the UFC knows that,” Topuria said of a fight with Makhachev. “But at the end of the day, this is something that the UFC decides. They know how to run the business. They have a lot of experience. So, if they tell me they want me to keep defending the belt in the 145-pound division, maybe I will do that. But if they let me go up to 155, I will do that also and be very glad.”

Getting wind of Topuria’s comments, Volkanovski is still holding out hope that he’ll get the chance to run it back with ‘El Matador’ before he runs off to another weight class. But if the UFC decides to book Topuria vs. Makahchev next, then so be it.

“I don’t want to get in the way of someone’s [title dream]. I obviously want that [Topuria] fight,” Volkanovski told Niko Pajarillo in his own interview with Fox Sports Australia. “It’s gonna suck, because I’d love that. If the UFC want [Makhachev vs. Topuria], and [Topuria] is pushing for it and they can make that happen, then alright. Good on them. But if they can’t make it happen, let’s not waste time and let’s lock our fight in. That’s sort of how it is. But if they can make it happen, sweet.”

If Ilia Topuria stays at 145, Volkanovski is next up

Luckily for Volkanovski, Topuria isn’t denying the fact that he’s next in line for a shot at the 145-pound crown.

“Yeah, if I stay in 145 no one else deserves the fight more than him,” Topuria said of Volkanovski. “I have to give him the rematch because he deserves that. It’s not something that I decide. He owns his shot. So, if I stay at 145, I will do that.”

Putting the featherweight title on the line at UFC 298, Volkanovski suffered a vicious second-round knockout against Topuria. Since then, ‘El Matador’ has successfully defended his crown, becoming the first fighter to KO former titleholder Max ‘Blessed’ Holloway in October.

Volkanovski has not competed since the loss to Topuria, opting to take some much-needed time off to heal after fighting three times in both 2022 and 2023.