Ilia Topuria is targeting several big fights following his victory over Alexander Volkanovski.
Topuria stopped Volkanovski at UFC 298, ending the Australian’s four-year reign as champion to win the UFC Featherweight Title. The win made Topuria a UFC superstar, extending his undefeated UFC record to 7-0. While a rematch could take place in Spain, other options are available. BMF Champion Max Holloway called him out after stopping Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. However, Topuria was also open to facing Conor McGregor and Sean O’Malley.
McGregor faces Michael Chandler at UFC 303 on June 29 in his first fight since losing to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021. McGregor broke his leg, leaving question marks over whether he is the same fighter. O’Malley is the UFC Bantamweight Champion, having beaten Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 to win the belt. The victory ended Sterling’s nine-fight win streak. The win was followed by a victory against Marlon Vera, avenging his only loss at UFC 299. O’Malley is likely to face Merab Dvalishvili next in a defense of his title. If McGregor and O’Malley win their fights, Topuria is ready for the smoke.
Topuria Reacts
“If Conor [McGregor] beats Mike Chandler, we can fight for the BMF belt at 170. [And] if [Sean] O’Malley defends his belt — which I have many, many doubts — that’s an exciting fight, too. So I don’t know. In my mind, I see a lot of big fights. Even with Volkanovski, it’s going to be huge.
“I just told him [O’Malley], ‘Congratulations on your title defense. He told me, ‘I’m going to defend my belt. You do your things, and we’re going to build the biggest fight in UFC history.’ This is what’s going to happen. If he defends the belt, that’s going to be the biggest fight in UFC history. And if we make it in [Madrid’s Santiago] Bernabeu [Stadium], even bigger,” Topuria said
Topuria’s next step is unclear. Volkanovski is on record, stating he wants to run things back following the loss. There is a narrative that the rematch will happen in Spain, given how much Topuria’s stock is increasing.
“Obviously I’ve been champion for a long time. And I want that rematch. It’s something that needs to happen. I’ve been a company man, backed up on short notice, faced Max three times … you name it I’ve done it. So I think I deserve that rematch. And it’s going to be different next time,” Volkanovski revealed
Following the win, Topuria has been pictured at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu. He attended the club’s game with Sevilla this year and met several of the players before kick-off. Topuria was also on hand to meet soccer superstar Lionel Messi. The images show the two posing with each other as Messi prepared for Inter Miami’s home game with Colorado. His rising star power means Topuria is in a position to call the shots, leaving him with numerous big fights on the table.
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