Ilia Topuria accomplished nearly everything he set out to do at UFC 317.
Known as “El Matador,” he delivered a spectacular knockout performance against Charles Oliveira in the main event last Saturday. This victory not only secured him the vacant lightweight championship but also kept his professional record unblemished and inducted him into the exclusive club of UFC athletes holding titles in two different weight classes. He previously reigned as the featherweight king, having defeated legendary fighters Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway in championship contests.
While Topuria is clearly celebrating this significant achievement, it was slightly overshadowed by the fact that Charles Oliveira was not the defending champion. The lightweight title had recently been vacated by Islam Makhachev, who himself is transitioning to the welterweight division (170 pounds) to challenge Jack Della Maddalena.
Topuria revealed that it was specifically Islam Makhachev he was targeting when he decided to move up to the 155-pound lightweight division.
“There was a point where I felt a bit saddened because I didn’t originally want to compete against [Oliveira],” Topuria shared with TMZ Sports. “My genuine aspiration was always to face Islam, but since he opted to escape the situation, Charles was the one.”
“Listen, I believe [Makhachev] made a very smart decision for himself,” he continued. “If the UFC had proposed a fight against someone like Justin Gaethje or another top contender in the division, I think he would have stayed at 155. But with me ascending, he likely thought, ‘I don’t need to take this risk. I’ll go up to 170 and attempt to secure another belt.’ This only happened because he recognizes how dangerous I am. He understands that I possess the ability to put him to sleep. The singular reason they are reluctant to have me fight him is that they know I will be victorious.”
Previously, Islam Makhachev and his esteemed coach Khabib Nurmagomedov had expressed reservations about considering Topuria a worthy challenger at lightweight, pointing to his lack of experience in that division. It was only after Makhachev’s close associate Belal Muhammad lost the welterweight title to Della Maddalena this past May that the path for Makhachev to move to 170 became clear, paving the way for the UFC to announce Topuria vs. Oliveira.
Nevertheless, Makhachev remains firmly on Ilia Topuria`s radar. Should Makhachev defeat Della Maddalena, Topuria has expressed a willingness to gain even more weight to face him in the welterweight division and pursue adding a third championship belt to his collection.
“Ideally, I would love to see Islam succeed in capturing the title [at 170] and then have the UFC permit me to move up to 170 to contend for that third belt,” Topuria stated.
Regardless of whether a bout with Makhachev ultimately happens, Topuria has undeniably positioned himself at the forefront of the sport`s pound-for-pound rankings and is arguably the promotion`s most prominent global star, thanks to his widespread popularity. His last three consecutive victories also present a compelling argument for being one of the most impressive winning streaks in the history of mixed martial arts.
“I absolutely think so,” Topuria affirmed. “Three true legends. Alex Volkanovski, who completely dominated his weight class. Max Holloway, another icon of the sport. And now Charles Oliveira. I genuinely believe this constitutes the greatest sequence of wins.”
