After UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria shocked the world with his spectacular knockout of Max Holloway, new horizons opened for the Hispanic-Georgian. The normal and logical thing is that the American company pushes him to continue defending his title against some of the contenders and, in that case, Alexander Volkanovski would appear as the most likely opponent, with whom he would dispute a rematch.
But the reality is that Topuria likes to do things in a big way, legacy fights, and that would involve trying to win a second belt in the immediately higher weight division, the lightweight division. There appears the champion, undoubtedly one of the most dominant, Islam Makhachev. Long before fighting Holloway, El Matador was already taunting him to get into the game and prepare for that hypothetical fight. Now, the Russian champion has come forward, leaving the door open for Topuria’s challenge.
«I’m sure we’re going to have some kind of conversation with him. He talks about me all the time. You probably want to tell me something… Let’s go out and talk. We will fight if necessary«He stated in an interview with Match TV, making it clear that he will do what the UFC tells him.
Islam Makhachev on Ilia Topuria:
“We’ll definitely have some kind of conversation with him. He talks about me all the time. He probably wants to get something across…. Let’s go out and talk.
We’ll fight if necessary.”
(via. Match TV) #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/YfJy9gJd3P
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 3, 2024
The reality is that Makhachev still has the challenge of defending the lightweight belt once again, in this case against Arman Tsarukyan, something that will probably happen in the first numbered event of the year, UFC 311, which will be held in Los Angels in January.
If he were to win again, the door would open to a possible challenge against Ilia Topuria, although his words also show how little interest he has in that fight, aware that the Spanish-Georgian is on fire, is a real danger and His legacy is more about winning the double belt in the welterweight division.
“If I beat him, what will it mean to me?… Everyone will say again that I beat a featherweight… But if people really want to see him lose, then we can do it,” Makhachev said.
#dominant #champion #UFC #accepts #Ilia #Topurias #challenge #fight
