Ilia Topuria is eager to secure a fight with UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev, believing that a victory would solidify his status as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
The reigning featherweight champ has set his sights on the top spot as the sport’s best, putting him at odds with Makhachev. Topuria has repeatedly expressed his desire to move up in weight for a superfight, a sentiment he reiterated in a recent interview with Fox Sports Australia.
“Me, personally, what I want to do is move up to 155 because I know that I can become a two-weight world champion,” Topuria said. “Islam, he’s a great fighter, he’s the No. 1 pound-for-pound for the people. For me, it’s me, myself — I’m the best fighter in the world. I know that I can do with him whatever I want to do because I know that I am much better than him.”
Topuria has built a strong case for being the best fighter in the world, topping multiple Fighter of the Year lists at the end of 2024, surpassing names like Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway.
“This is something that I want to do,” Topuria said. “The UFC knows that. But at the end of the day, this is something that the UFC decides because they know how to run the business. They know how to do it, they have a lot of experience. So if they tell me that they want me to keep defending the belt in the 145 division, maybe I will do that. But if they let me go up to 155, I will do that also.”
If “El Matador” remains at featherweight, potential challengers include Diego Lopes and Movsar Evloev, as well as a rumored rematch with Alexander Volkanovski.
“I think Diego deserves it more because Movsar has more fights in the UFC, but he has eight fights, eight decisions, [one] by split decision. You need to finish someone,” Topuria said. “Do something, do something relevant, put yourself in that spot, and why not? We can do it.
“But if you don’t finish anyone, I fight for the fans. I fight to entertain the fans, and I need someone inside the cage to be entertained. I don’t need someone who is only looking for the win and grabs you and this and that. Which, by the way, he wouldn’t be able to do that with me—I would knock him out in the first round. But I need someone to hype up the fight.”
