Ilia Topuria’s Next Fight: One Opponent Stands Above the Rest for UFC Champion

Ilia Topuria’s Next Fight: One Opponent Stands Above the Rest for UFC Champion

Despite numerous contenders seeking a chance to challenge his recently acquired UFC featherweight title, Ilia Topuria has one particular rival who stands out above the others.

Upon joining the UFC, Topuria was highly regarded as a promising prospect with an unblemished record of 8-0 and a reputation for being able to finish fights in an instant.

As a result of his impressive track record, the Spaniard has earned a reputation as one of the most feared strikers in the entire promotion. With four knockout wins and a submission stoppage in his seven UFC victories, he continues to prove himself as a dominant force in the ring.

Topuria’s latest win occurred at UFC 298, where he faced off against Alexander Volkanovski, known as one of the greatest featherweight fighters in MMA history. In a surprising turn of events, Topuria effortlessly defeated ‘Volk’.

The 27-year-old Topuria delivered a knockout blow to the Australian opponent and claimed his first UFC championship. He wasted no time in challenging multiple contenders for his debut title defense.

Despite not making an official announcement, Dana White has several potential opponents for the new champion in mind. These options not only seem logical, but also have the potential for heated verbal exchanges.

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A Potential Showdown Against Conor McGregor

Despite being a highly unlikely choice, Conor McGregor remains one of the most thrilling prospects for his upcoming return to the octagon in June, following a nearly three-year absence from the sport.

Despite having a scheduled fight against Michael Chandler at UFC 303, the Irishman may also have a potential super fight in the works against current featherweight champion Ilia Topuria.

After securing the featherweight title against Alexander Volkanovski, Topuria wasted no time in challenging McGregor, offering him the option to choose the weight class for their fight as long as it was held in Spain.

In the months following, Topuria has been actively advocating for a UFC card to be held in Spain. He strongly believes that McGregor would be the ideal opponent to attract the largest audience and generate the highest revenue for the country.

Additionally, in many ways, Topuria views himself as the next in line to carry on McGregor’s legacy. He possesses a powerful right hand and is notorious for his trash-talking both inside and outside the octagon.

It is evident that Topuria has set his sights on becoming one of the most successful fighters in history. A victory over the Irishman and maintaining an undefeated record in the MMA would greatly contribute to achieving this ambitious aspiration.

Despite this, Dana White is not expected to permit his champion to go on a prolonged break without defending their title. While a fight against McGregor may happen in the future, it is improbable for Topuria’s upcoming match.

The Sean O’Malley test

Despite the attractiveness of McGregor as an opponent, Topuria is more likely to face and, in all honesty, would find a better matchup in current bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley.

Despite the uncanny similarities between O’Malley and McGregor in and out of the octagon, ‘Suga Sean’ stands out as the younger of the two, holds his own championship gold, and has expressed a strong desire to eventually face Topuria.

A fight between two champions is highly appealing to UFC fans, as O’Malley’s unconventional style complements Topuria’s controlled chaos as a striker, making it an easy sell.

The mere idea of the two individuals facing off in the center of the cage and exchanging punches would undoubtedly attract even the most casual fans of combat sports. Furthermore, both contenders have a dedicated following that will undoubtedly be rooting for them as well.

Unfortunately, Dana White has not shown full commitment to this fight, stating that O’Malley and Topuria must first defend their titles in their respective divisions before pursuing the opportunity to become champions in two weight classes.

The ongoing O’Malley-Topuria feud shows no signs of ending, and it is probable that fans will have to wait until 2025 for the two to finally face off in the UFC octagon.

Brian Ortega’s Impressive Resume

Occasionally, the least exciting choice on paper can actually be the most logical one. This is where Brian Ortega comes in; with a record of 16-3, the featherweight fighter is building a strong argument for a title shot in his division.

Ortega has participated in two UFC championship fights, ultimately being defeated by Max Holloway via TKO at UFC 231 and losing a decision to then-champion Alexander Volkanovski in the main event of UFC 266.

Ever since, Ortega has made just two appearances in the UFC due to persistent shoulder injuries. He suffered a loss in 2022 against Yair Rodriguez, but later redeemed himself and avenged the defeat in 2024.

Ortega is determined to earn a third opportunity to compete for a UFC title and has set his sights on Topuria. Based on Ortega’s statements, the current featherweight champion is willing to face ‘T-City’ in the octagon.

In contrast to other possible challengers, Ortega and Topuria have vastly different fighting styles. This match-up would intrigue fans as the grappling expert and the boxing specialist would each attempt to dominate the other.

In addition, during a podcast appearance following Ortega’s dominant submission victory over Rodriguez in February, Topuria expressed his willingness to take on this fight.

Rematching with a UFC Featherweight Legend

It is impossible to talk about Topuria’s upcoming opponent without mentioning Alexander Volkanovski, the man from whom he claimed the featherweight championship.

Despite losing two out of three fights to Islam Makhachev, Volkanovski made a comeback to the division and successfully defended his belt against Topuria at UFC 298.

The Spaniard secured a dominant knockout victory over ‘Volk’ in the second round, solidly establishing Topuria as one of the top contenders in the division.

Despite keeping his upcoming plans under wraps, it would be logical for the champion, Volk, to receive an immediate rematch for the featherweight title.

This is a significant moment for Topuria, as it provides him with a chance to demonstrate to the MMA community that his win at UFC 298 was not a lucky occurrence. Defeating ‘Volk’ once more would dispel any uncertainty in this regard.

One of the most probable paths for the UFC to pursue would be to have the title defense take place in Topuria’s home country, which could create a thrilling build-up to the fight.

Topuria and the UFC should choose Max Holloway

Additionally, the current BMF champion, Max Holloway, is also a notable figure. It is widely known that there is a significant amount of animosity between Holloway and Topuria, evident by their social media posts.

Ever since Holloway claimed the BMF title from Justin Gaethje at UFC 300, Topuria has been eagerly vying for the opportunity to compete for the coveted belt against ‘Blessed.’

Topuria publicly challenged Holloway to a match, stating that he would be willing to put his featherweight championship on the line if Holloway was also willing to put his BMF belt on the line.

Holloway has been hesitant about officially confirming a champion vs. champion match up until this point. However, following UFC 300, he expressed his belief that Topuria is the most probable opponent for him.

With their increasing enmity and a potentially adverse atmosphere in Spain, the matchup between Holloway and Topuria rises above all other possible matchups.

The upcoming showdown would resemble a gladiator’s fight, much like the intense Holloway-Gaethje clash witnessed at UFC 300. Nevertheless, Topuria is currently at the pinnacle of his abilities and the BMF champion may not have the same advantageous result this time.

If both men have their way and Dana White agrees, a unification match between the BMF titleholder and featherweight champion will likely be considered for the fight of the night bonuses.

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