Ilia Topuria’s confidence matches his talent. As he chases a second UFC title at UFC 317, he’s already plotting a third. On paper, it sounds ridiculous, but when Topuria says it, it somehow makes sense.
Topuria recently made headlines after claiming he’d push to challenge Makhachev, should Makhachev win the welterweight title. For Topuria, it’s less about becoming the UFC’s first three-division champion and more about dethroning the sport’s pound-for-pound king. Asked why he believes he can do what no one else has — especially against a fighter as revered as Makhachev –Topuria posed a question of his own.
“Why not?” Topuria asked CBS Sports. “That’s my question.”
Topuria vacated the UFC featherweight championship after knocking out Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski, two of the three all-time great 145-pound champions. He cited difficult weight cuts as his motivation to commit full-time to lightweight, but Topuria believes he’s fully equipped to cover the large 25-pound gap between featherweight and welterweight.
“I used to train with people who fought in the welterweight division. I felt very good,” Topuria said. “We had very competitive rounds and I felt I could dominate and knock out anyone in this world. When it comes to fighting, I feel I’m the best fighter in the world.
“If I go to the street and someone says something to my wife, I won’t ask for his weight, height, and reach. I will go all in. In this case, I’m going to get paid and win another world title. Why not take the risk?”
Check out the full interview with Ilia Topuria below.
Many prerequisites must be met before Makhachev and Topuria fight for the 170-pound belt. Topuria must beat Charles Oliveira on Saturday before anyone will humor the idea of another weight class jump. Then there’s Makhachev, who isn’t officially booked to fight welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena yet, despite proposing a timeline and location for their potential clash. Finally, UFC matchmakers must play ball. Should Makahchev fail at welterweight, Topuria will prioritize welcoming him back to lightweight.
Topuria’s ambitions sound unfeasible, but he uniquely makes you question the boundaries of what’s possible. Topuria carries himself with unrelenting sureness. That very real, deeply rooted confidence is sometimes mistaken for brashness. He has plenty of that too, make no mistake, but he’s on the cusp of being the breakout star UFC needs.
Topuria hasn’t dominated a division like Jon Jones or racked up defenses like Anderson Silva, but he could stand apart from nearly every UFC champion if he follows through. Winning UFC titles in three divisions is unprecedented. Even if the welterweight title fight doesn’t materialize, beating Volkanovski, Holloway, Oliveira and Makhachev would rank among the best four-fight stretches in MMA history.
“If they mention me as one of the greatest of all time, I will be happy,” Topuria said. “I don’t want to be selfish. We have many, many athletes who’ve done many great things for this sport. All the credit goes to everyone. There’s space for everyone.”
