Ilia Topuria appears to have secured a high-profile showdown for his next Octagon outing.
Last month, Topuria shocked the MMA world by vacating his UFC featherweight title, opting to test himself in the lightweight division in pursuit of becoming a two-division champion.
As a result, former champion Alexander Volkanovski is set to face Diego Lopes for the vacant title in the UFC 314 main event on April 12 at Miami’s Kaseya Center.
UFC CEO Dana White announced that "El Matador" opted to compete in a higher weight class, believing he had already dominated the featherweight division while also facing the relentless challenge of cutting down to 145 pounds.