A former opponent of Ilia Topuria's believes 'El Matador' has proven himself worthy and has rightfully earned an immediate shot at the UFC lightweight title.
Last month, Topuria gave up his UFC featherweight championship to chase 155-pound gold and potentially secure his place as the promotion’s 10th two-division titleholder. Consequently, former champion Alexander Volkanovski is set to face the fast-rising Diego Lopes for the vacant 145-pound title at UFC 314 on April 12.
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UFC CEO Dana White previously mentioned that Ilia Topuria’s decision to move up a weight class was driven by his belief that he had already accomplished enough in the featherweight division, along with the increasing difficulty of making the weight limit.
While the undefeated Spaniard has made it clear that he’s eager to face reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, it's still uncertain whether he’ll be granted an instant title shot.
Rumors are also circulating that the Dagestani champion is unwilling to defend his belt until Topuria first proves himself in a title eliminator matchup against a top contender. However, Volkanovski is confident that "El Matador" has earned the opportunity to face Makhachev.
During a recent appearance on the Believe You Me podcast, 'The Great' voiced his support for Ilia Topuria’s shot at the 155-pound title, commending his former foe for not clinging to his featherweight title or chasing simultaneous championships across two divisions.
Put it this way, if he was trying to hang on to both belts, I don’t think that was going to happen," Volkanovski said. "The fact that he’s vacated and the lightweight division’s in a position where, I don’t know, there’s no real clear No. 1, I think it’s fair. The fact that he vacated, I think that that’s fair.
If he wanted to hang on and do the double champ thing, I think he needed to do more work, but the fact that he’s like, ‘Look, I’m going to let this one go. Let that division move on. I want to commit to lightweight. I think that’s big. I think that’s fair, so I think he sort of deserves it.
Topuria secured the 145-pound title for the first time at UFC 298 in February 2024, delivering a stunning knockout of Volkanovski. He successfully defended his belt at UFC 308 in October, securing another knockout, this time against Max Holloway.
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