Written by Ilia Topuria | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Ilia Topuria’s path to lightweight glory doesn’t go through Islam Makhachev.
When Topuria vacated his featherweight belt this past February, it suddenly became possible that the two best pound-for-pound fighters in the world would square off with Makhachev’s 155-pound title on the line. However, with Makhachev’s friend Belal Muhammad losing the welterweight title to Jack Della Maddelana at UFC 315, suddenly the door was open for Makhachev to make his own bid for champ-champ status.
That possibility became reality when UFC CEO Dana White announced Tuesday that Makhachev will challenge Della Maddalena in a welterweight championship bout at a date and location still to be determined, leaving Topuria to headline UFC 317 on June 28 opposite Charles Oliveira with the now-vacant lightweight title on the line.
Few would argue that Makhachev vs. Della Maddalena and Topuria vs. Oliveira aren’t fantastic title tilts, but was something lost with Makhachev not sticking around to fight Topuria?
Check out reactions to the UFC 317 main event news below.