Ilia Topuria sets sights on UFC history next year in Spain

If all goes to plan for UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, the near future will include a bout against Conor McGregor in Madrid, Spain, in front of 80,000 fans and a record-breaking pay-per-view audience.

There remains work to be done for Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), who was born in Germany of Georgian descent and who became a citizen of Spain in 2014.

Topuria's wish is to have a title defense in September against Max Holloway, the former 145-pound champ champion. A victory there would be needed to work on a matchup with Ireland's McGregor, who is facing a June 29 bout against Michael Chandler at UFC 303.

If everything aligns, Topuria is looking toward the McGregor matchup at the famed Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, home to the Real Madrid soccer team, as UFC comes to Spain for the first time next year.

"If Max Holloway is able to fight in September, we have a fight," Topuria said, according to India sports website Sportskeeda. "If not, maybe we are going to the end of the year or something like that. I want to fight as soon as possible because next year, I want fight in Spain."

Topuria became the UFC featherweight champion in February when he knocked out Alexander Volkanovski in the main event of UFC 298 at Anaheim, Calif.