UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria is ready to test his strength at 155 pounds. Joining Spanish radio outlet El Partidazo de COPE on Monday, the undefeated Georgian expressed interest in vacating his belt and moving up to the lightweight division. He emphasized that after just one title defense, his featherweight days are officially in the rearview:
“We have seen my last featherweight fight,” he said.
Topuria has dominated the featherweight division
If it wasn’t for the unrelenting dominance of light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira, the 27-year-old would have concluded 2024 as the Fighter of the Year. Topuria (16-0, 6 KOs) is coming off the heels of arguably the most impressive back-to-back wins of all time.
Topuria dramatically ended the four-year championship reign of Alexander “the Great” Volkanovski via knockout at UFC 298 in February. One-upping himself, he successfully defended his belt against BMF champ Max Holloway at UFC 308 in October, putting the fan-favorite to sleep for the first time in his career.
Volkanovski (26-4, 13 KOs) and Holloway (26-8, 12 KOs) coexisted atop the featherweight division for years, operating levels above the rest of the pack. While Volkanovski reigned supreme, Holloway was the gatekeeper to a shot at the throne and outclassed any rising contender that stood across from him.
It appeared as though no one could touch Volkanovski or Holloway. That was until El Matador ordered a changing of the guard.
As it stands, the featherweight rankings include many of the names that have already fallen to Volkanovski, Holloway, or both. From Yair Rodriguez to Brian Ortega to Arnold Allen, the scope of the division hasn’t dramatically shifted since Topuria assumed the throne.
That’s not to say that there’s a complete absence of potential challengers. The full-throttle Diego Lopes and undefeated Movsar Evloev are undoubtedly knocking on the door.
However, after wiping the floor with the division’s most formidable foes, it’s unlikely that a more impactful victory awaits him at 145 pounds, and it’s possible Topuria could benefit from a change in scenery.
Topuria is eyeing a fight against Charles Oliveira
On the radio show, Topuria explained that he wishes to make the jump to 155 pounds sooner rather than later. Rather than wait for champion Islam Makhachev – who is slated to face Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311 in January – he stated that he wants to fight former champion Charles Oliveira:
“Since Islam is going to fight in January and he is not going to be ready for April/May, I would like to fight the #1 contender which is Charles Oliveira.”
Oliveira (35-10, 10 KOs) is one of the most lethal fighters the sport has ever seen. The 35-year-old Brazilian holds the UFC records for both submission victories (16) and total finishes (20).
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The No. 2 ranked lightweight re-entered the win column with an exciting decision victory over Michael Chandler at UFC 309 in November. However, after already having defeated the next-best contenders in Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier, Oliveira’s next course of action remains unclear.
It’s worth noting that nothing is certain regarding Topuria’s future without UFC president Dana White’s sign-off. Should he receive the opportunity to test himself at 155 pounds, though, Oliveira could be right there waiting for him.
