Ilia Topuria achieved most of his goals at UFC 317.
In the main event last Saturday, “El Matador” delivered a spectacular knockout against Charles Oliveira. This victory secured him the vacant lightweight title, preserved his perfect professional record, and placed him among the select group of UFC athletes who have held championships in multiple weight divisions. Prior to this, he dominated the featherweight category, defeating legends like Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway in title contests.
Although Topuria is rightfully celebrating his achievement, it was somewhat overshadowed by the fact that Oliveira wasn`t the reigning champion. The lightweight belt became available after Islam Makhachev vacated it. Makhachev is now planning to move up to the welterweight division to compete against Jack Della Maddalena.
It was Makhachev whom Topuria primarily intended to challenge when he moved up to the 155-pound weight class.
Topuria revealed to TMZ Sports, “Honestly, I was slightly disappointed initially because I didn`t originally aim to fight Oliveira. My true objective was always Islam, but as he chose to avoid the matchup, Charles became the necessary opponent.”
He elaborated, “In my opinion, Makhachev made a wise choice. If the UFC had proposed a fight against Justin Gaethje or another contender in the lightweight division, I believe he would have remained at 155. However, with my ascent to the division, he likely thought, `I don`t need to take this chance. I`ll move up to 170 and pursue another title.` This is entirely because he recognizes my threat level. He knows I possess the ability to knock him out. The sole reason they are hesitant about me facing him is their certainty that I will defeat him.”
Previously, both Makhachev and his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov were hesitant to acknowledge Topuria as a legitimate challenger, citing his limited history in the lightweight division. The situation only shifted after Makhachev`s close friend, Belal Muhammad, lost the welterweight championship to Della Maddalena in May. This event seemingly paved the way for Makhachev`s move to 170 and the UFC`s subsequent announcement of the Topuria vs. Oliveira bout.
Nevertheless, Topuria still has Makhachev in his sights. Should Makhachev defeat Della Maddalena, Topuria expressed readiness to gain even more weight to confront him and potentially claim a third championship belt.
Topuria stated, “Ideally, I hope Islam wins the welterweight title, and then the UFC allows me to move up to 170 pounds to pursue a third belt.”
Regardless of whether a fight with Makhachev materializes, Topuria has firmly established himself as a contender in the pound-for-pound rankings and is arguably the UFC`s most significant star due to his widespread international appeal. Furthermore, his last three victories have led many to suggest he has completed one of the most remarkable streaks in the history of mixed martial arts.
“Yes, I believe so,” Topuria affirmed. “These were three legendary opponents. Alex Volkanovski was dominating his division completely. Max Holloway is another icon of the sport. And now Charles Oliveira. I truly feel this represents the greatest sequence of wins.”
