Ilia Topuria Sets Sights on Lightweight Gold in 2025
Ilia Topuria, the former UFC featherweight champion, shocked the MMA world by announcing his move to the lightweight division. The decision to vacate his 145-pound title came with plans for a showdown between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes for the now-vacant featherweight title at UFC 314.
With the move to lightweight, Topuria’s next move seemed clear: a title shot against the current 155-pound champion, Islam Makhachev. However, the fight announcement did not immediately follow, raising questions about the UFC’s plans for Topuria in the lightweight division.
While UFC CEO Dana White hinted at the possibility of Topuria facing a lightweight contender first, Topuria’s representative, Malki Kawa, believes that a matchup with Makhachev is the logical next step.
Kawa stated, “No one has told us we can’t fight for the lightweight title. This is probably the biggest fight you can make right now outside of ‘Bones’ Jones vs. Tom Aspinall. So I don’t know if there’s another fight out there that’s bigger than this fight. This is the biggest fight you can make.”
Topuria, known for his knockout victories over Volkanovski and Holloway, has expressed his intentions to move up to lightweight since his featherweight championship reign began. With an undefeated record of 16-0, Topuria is poised to make a mark in the lightweight division.
Kawa believes that Topuria has the potential to reach superstar status akin to Conor McGregor, especially if he defeats Makhachev for the lightweight title. Topuria’s previous lightweight bout against Jai Herbert showcased his skills in the division, setting the stage for a potential title run.
As Topuria aims to become an international MMA star, Kawa is confident in his ability to achieve transcendent status in the sport. The decision to move up to lightweight was driven by considerations of longevity and performance, with Topuria looking to secure his legacy in the higher weight class.
While the final decision rests with the UFC, Kawa remains optimistic about Topuria’s chances of fighting for the lightweight title. With his sights set on Makhachev and the gold, Topuria is poised to make waves in the lightweight division in 2025. To ensure a seamless integration into a WordPress platform, it is important to preserve the original HTML tags, images, HTML header, and key points from the content. By doing so, we can maintain the integrity of the original content while making it compatible with WordPress.
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