UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria faces Max Holloway on Saturday, October 26, in Abu Dhabi, but he already knows what he wants to do after that fight.
The uber-confident Topuria told Ariel Helwani of Uncrowned that he plans to move up to lightweight after successfully defending his title against Holloway.
“How many fights [before I go to lightweight?] I could do it after this one.” Ilia Topuria said. “I want to do it, I want to do it, I want to do it. But the thing is, what the UFC wants me to do. At the end of the day I’m a fighter, that’s my job. They know better than me, who I should fight, so.”
That dose of humility is going to help Topuria remain in good graces with the UFC.
“If they tell me that they’re okay with me moving to move to 155, then I will do it,” Topuria continued. “I want to do it, it’s easier for me to weight cut, and I feel good at that weight. I’ve already fought at 155 in London against Jai Herbert. So I feel really good, and I want to do it once again for the world title. I don’t want to do it with any different opponent.”
Here is a look at the clip.
Obviously, Holloway will have something to say about the last part, but it’s an exciting goal, considering Topuria would have only defended his title once. Usually, that’s not how a champion progresses to a new weight class.
As much as Topuria has feuded with Conor McGregor on social media, he’s attempting to follow in his footsteps. Much like McGregor, Topuria has an entire country behind him.
While he was born in Georgia, Spain is Topuria’s adopted home. McGregor defeated Jose Aldo to become the featherweight champion in December 2015 but never fought at 145 pounds again. His next fight was at welterweight against Nate Diaz, as the latter stepped in on late notice for an injured Rafael dos Anjos.
McGregor was looking to become the lightweight champion, as Dos Anjos was the champion at the time. McGregor lost to Diaz and rematched him at welterweight and won a majority decision before dropping back down to lightweight to stop Eddie Alvarez to win the title at 155 pounds.
Topuria’s dream is to bring the UFC to Spain’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid. That prospect undoubtedly appeals to the UFC, but the promotion doesn’t need to rush Topuria’s rise. It is in the best interest of the featherweight division for Topuria to stay at 145 pounds long enough to face Holloway.
If he beats him, rematch Alexander Volkanovski and perhaps face Diego Lopez and/or Movsar Evloev before leaping lightweight. In any case, it’s great to see a star like Topuria, who is not only popular but also not afraid to reach beyond the level of a traditional champion.
Topuria aspires to be great, seemingly willing to break convention to achieve his goal. That sounds a lot like a young McGregor.
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