Ilia Topuria has emerged as a dominant force in the UFC, winning the featherweight title against Alexander Volkanovski and successfully defending it against Max Holloway. Recently, Topuria vacated his title to pursue opportunities in the lightweight division, driven by the lack of contenders at featherweight and the challenges of weight cutting. Despite his ambitions for an immediate title shot, he understands that he may need to face a seasoned contender first, such as former champion Charles Oliveira, who has expressed skepticism about Topuria's readiness to compete at 155 pounds.
Charles, it's better if you stay quiet. You have 10 losses: 5 by knockout, 4 by submission, and 1 by decision. You are the contender, while I am the champion, the father of the entire division. I haven't come here to ask anything. Here, I am the one in charge. - Ilia Topuria
Topuria has finished 14 of his 16 career wins so far, six of which came in the UFC.
Topuria won the featherweight title by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 last year.
Oliveira saw an 11-fight winning streak end in a lightweight title bout against Islam Makhachev in 2022.
Collection
[
|
...
]