Ilia Topuria, like most on the roster, would like to compete on the UFC White Home card in June, and he has the right opponent in thoughts.
The UFC gentle heavyweight champion’s first title protection hasn’t been introduced simply but, however with the UFC’s large occasion on the White Home taking up a lifetime of its personal within the MMA group, “El Matador” was requested who could be his ideally suited opponent if he have been to participate within the large occasion.
“Islam Makhachev,” Topuria mentioned throughout a press convention in Georgia (h/t She Loves the Gloves). “I feel it could be one of many largest fights in UFC historical past: nobody has ever fought for a 3rd title, and Islam has dominantly completed every little thing he wanted to do in his division after which modified weight lessons. I feel it’s a struggle of an enormous magnitude, which fits us all, in addition to the UFC.”
Topuria vacated the featherweight title following a knockout win over Max Holloway at UFC 308 in October 2024 to make the transfer to light-weight and seize one other divisional title. The state of affairs he drew up when making that call was to face Makhachev in an try to defeat the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on this planet. As a substitute, Makhachev had the identical thought as Topuria, as he vacated the title — which Topuria received with a brutal first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 in June.
Makhachev is difficult Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight title in the principle occasion of UFC 322 in November. Ought to Makhachev get it accomplished, Topuria reiterates future plans to make the transfer as much as 170 himself.
“If Islam loses, he could as nicely return to Dagestan, to his farm and proceed shepherding his sheep,” Topuria mentioned. “But when he wins, I’ll positively transfer up. Positively. one hundred pc.”
Following the ultimate Contender Collection occasion of 2025 on Tuesday, UFC CEO Dana White mentioned it was attainable that Topuria may headline the primary large Paramount+ occasion in January, though nothing extra was mentioned.
Topuria was requested the identical query, and doubled down on White’s feedback.
“It’s very attainable,” Topuria defined.
“I’m very comfortable that this new cope with Paramount was signed. There have been some challenges with the ESPN deal when it comes to holding occasions in Europe. For instance, after we had conversations about holding a UFC occasion in Spain, they’d at all times ask for it to be held on the American prime time, which is 4-5 a.m. in Spain. This, nonetheless, causes a variety of logistical challenges like transportation, eating places, and so forth — the complete system. Now, with this new deal, [UFC] will have the ability to maintain occasions in Europe at native prime time, which works nicely for all of us who reside on this facet of the ocean.”
