Ilia Topuria is between a rock and a hard place. He vacated his featherweight title in the hopes of an immediate lightweight title shot. But Islam Makhachev has other options he’d prefer over the Spaniard. Lightweight contenders deserving a title shot? Yes. A move up to welterweight for a second belt over Ilia? Any day. Khabib Nurmagomedov explaining the pointlessness of this matchup for his teammate does not help ‘La Leyenda’s case either. So, where does Topuria go from here?
Well, ‘La Leyenda’ doesn’t need to look too far because there are some pretty exciting matchups waiting for him in the lightweight division. Let’s take a look at some of those possible opponents for Ilia Topuria to make his ascension into the 155 lbs title picture, starting with rising star, Paddy Pimblett.
1. Ilia Topuria could fight Paddy Pimblett
After UFC 314, Paddy Pimblett left no doubts that he’s indeed a force to be reckoned with in the highly stacked lightweight division. His dominant win over Michael Chandler, who may have lost more UFC fights than he’s won, diminished the doubts people had about him when he scored a controversial win over Jared Gordon.
Now that Paddy Pimblett has finally reached the top 10, it would make sense if Dana White decides to pair him up against Ilia Topuria. They’ve already been on each other’s necks since 2022, so what’s stopping the UFC CEO from getting this fight to materialize?
December 23, 2023, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA: PADDY PIMBLETT 21-3-0 of Huyton, United Kingdom defeats TONY FERGUSON 26-10-0 of Oxnard, California by unanimous decision 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 during UFC 296 at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas Las Vegas USA – ZUMAo117 20231223_zsp_o117_011 Copyright: xMikaelxOnax
Dana White has everything he needs to make this fight happen–a bit of bad blood between Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria, and their ability to fill in seats, would make for an exciting matchup. Topuria even told Joe Rogan that the fight excites him as a later matchup. But if that’s not what the Georgian-Spaniard is looking for to kick things off with, he could shift his attention to a former lightweight champion.
2. Topuria could make a statement if he could beat Charles Oliveira
Charles Oliveira–a fan favorite, a former champion, and one of the contenders calling for a title shot–has also name-dropped Ilia Topuria after the latter’s move to the lightweight division. Better yet for Dana White, the duo even got into a back-and-forth with the former featherweight champion, which planted seeds for a possible clash in the future.
As established as Oliveira is in the UFC, he’s still putting on stellar performances at the age of 35. So, yes, there’s certainly a lot to gain for Topuria if he manages to knock off the Brazilian veteran off his porch. It would not only add to ‘La Leyenda’s status as a credible 2-division threat but also add to his marketability and raise his stock.
MMA: UFC 289-Oliveira vs Dariush Jun 10, 2023 Vancouver, BC, Canada Charles Oliveira reacts following his TKO victory against Beneil Dariush during UFC 289 at Rogers Arena. Vancouver Rogers Arena BC Canada, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xSergeixBelskix 20230610_gav_bb9_115
But perhaps the biggest thing to gain for Ilia Topuria by fighting and beating Charles Oliveira would be getting fast-tracked to a title shot. If there’s someone who’s got more credibility in the lightweight division besides the champion Islam Makhachev, it’s ‘Do Bronxs.’ So, yes, a win over him would certainly qualify any fighter as a title contender. However, the lightweight legend isn’t too keen on a fight against Topuria at the moment, but is hellbent on getting another shot at Makhachev. And probably, Oliveira doesn’t want to take that big of a risk. So if that ship sails, the 28-year-old has one more credible opponent in hand.
3. ‘La Leyenda’ could also butt heads against ex-BMF champ Justin Gaethje
Justin Gaethje may be ranked 3rd in the rankings, but he’s been calling for a title shot as well. It was in March that he decided to announce that this is his final run in the UFC, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s going to see his wish fulfilled. We can assume that, given the current title landscape with Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan in it, a title shot isn’t coming anytime soon for Gaethje.
This ultimately opens the door for Ilia Topuria to capitalize and perhaps take on ‘The Highlight’, which is a match that fans would undoubtedly be interested in. As we’ll know, Gaethje has never lacked the element of excitement in his matchups, as he puts on some of the most impressive performances that the UFC has ever seen.
MMA: UFC 286 – Gaethje vs Fiziev Mar 18, 2023 London, UNITED KINGDOM Justin Gaethje red gloves prepares to fight Rafael Fiziev not pictured during UFC 286 at O2 Arena. London O2 Arena UNITED KINGDOM, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xPerxHaljestamx 20230318_kab_bk4_226
Moreover, Ilia Topuria also has a chance to earn a title shot after beating Justin Gaethje, who’s a former interim champion and has been consistently featured in the top spots on PPV cards. Both of them have the knack for explosive striking, which would be a treat for the fans, and given that Gaethje offers more of a stand-up challenge to the Georgian-Spaniard, Topuria has more chance of winning this fight due to his striking prowess.
Well, what do you think about these picks for Ilia Topuria? Let us know in the comments down below.
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