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Ilia Topuria knows he has a big fight ahead of him at UFC 317, but if he becomes a two-division champion, and Islam Makhachev accomplishes the same later this year, Topuria says he will do everything he can for a shot at history.
“If Islam becomes the welterweight world champion, for sure I’m going to push for that shot also,” Topuria said during a pre-fight press conference in Las Vegas (h/t The Mac Life).
Topuria vacated the featherweight belt for a move to lightweight, and a hope of facing Makhachev for the 155-pound belt. Instead, he faces former champ Charles Oliveira in the main event of the UFC’s annual International Fight Week card.
Makhachev had the same goal in mind, and vacated his belt for a move up to 170, where he’ll challenge new champ Jack Della Maddalena later this year.
Should both guys accomplish their goals, Topuria believes the fight can still happen with Makhachev at either weight class.
“We’ll see how he does in the welterweight division,” Topuria said. “If he wins the title, and I win the title in the lightweight division, maybe I move up or he comes down to the lightweight division and we have the fight that everyone wants to see.”
Oliveira gets to fight for UFC gold for the first time since a submission loss to Makhachev for the vacant belt at UFC 280 in October 2022. “Du Bronx” became champ with a stoppage win over Michael Chandler at UFC 262, followed by a finish of Dustin Poirier in his first title defense at UFC 269. Oliveira went on to submit Justin Gaethje in his next fight at UFC 274, but was stripped of the title after missing weight for the bout.
After recently dominating Chandler in their second matchup at UFC 309 this past November, Oliveira gets his chance to become champ for a second time. For Topuria, his first choice was Makhachev, but he’ll take the opportunity he has in front of him to make a statement.
“To be honest, I wanted to face him because he was the guy who was dominating everyone in that weight division,” Topuria explained. “But at the end of the day, I can’t control what they do. The only thing I can control is what I do, so I wanted to move up, I wanted to fight for a title, and this is what I’m doing. He decided to move up also, so I can’t do anything else, and go and fight whoever wants to fight me. …
“[He moved up] because he has his own goals, is what I think.”