Ilia Topuria is placing his trust in Dana White and the UFC as he plans to move up to the 155-pound division.
Though he hasn't received official confirmation on his next opponent, whether it will be lightweight champion Islam Makhachev or another contender, Topuria remains confident that his next fight will be for the lightweight title.
This comes as Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes are set to fight for the featherweight belt that Topuria will vacate at UFC 314.
Speaking to the media after an event in Madrid, Spain, Topuria reassured his supporters that the UFC has guaranteed him a title fight.
I’m not entirely sure what my next fight will be," Topuria said (h/t MMA Marca, translation via Championship Rounds). "The only thing I’m sure of is that the UFC’s word is that my next fight will be for the world title. That’s all I know. Afterwards, if it’s going to be Islam, if it’s going to be Charles, I have no idea." He emphasized the importance of the title being on the line, stating, "The belt will be on the line. That was the promise for leaving my title vacant. They’ve always kept their promises.
Topuria isn't demanding that Makhachev be his opponent. He's open to either fighting Makhachev for the lightweight title or competing for a vacant belt if Makhachev moves up to 170 pounds. Another potential opponent is Charles Oliveira, whom Topuria has previously expressed interest in fighting. However, Oliveira recently dismissed Topuria, saying he's not "a big fight," which led to a strong response from Topuria, who questioned Oliveira's past record.
I haven’t dissed [Oliveira], I’ve told the truth," Topuria explained. "He has 10 losses. I haven’t said anything else. He has 10 losses. Five by knockout, four by submission, one by decision. He says [lightweight] is the toughest division there is. When he was fighting at 145, even Cub Swanson beat him up. That’s where the conversation ends.
Topuria continued, "Something he couldn’t achieve at 145 pounds, he did at 155, where he became champion. So why is that division tougher than the one I come from? I don’t find any logic in it. And that’s why I said it seems like he hasn’t read a single page of a newspaper. So if that’s disrespectful, I don’t know since when telling the truth is disrespectful.