In a recent social media post, Conor McGregor outlined plans for the future of his career in combat sports. “The Notorious” claims that he is in “preliminary agreements” for a return to the boxing ring against Logan Paul in India. Once that is settled, he will turn his attention back towards making a long awaited return to the UFC.
McGregor also stated in the post that there is no truth to any rumors of him coming back to face off with the promotion’s current featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria.
“El Matador” is a huge star, but while the fight might make sense in terms of how big it would be following the comments exchanged by the two men, it doesn’t appear to be a realistic option for either right now.
The rumors of a bout with topurio are false. I am in preliminary agreements with the Ambani family to face Logan Paul in a boxing exhibition in India. I have agreed. I will then seek my return to the Octagon.
Following the clarification from the often cryptic McGregor on X, Topuria has provided his own response to “The Notorious.”
Posting several hours later on his own X account, the 145-pound king posted a scathing message aimed at the Dublin native, which suggests that even if the fight was on the table, he wouldn’t be interested in it.
McGregor, meanwhile, recently posted the following statement on X after being threatened with contempt of court over the comments he shared on social media relating to the verdict of the case.
UFC featherweight Sean Woodson sees himself as a difficult matchup for champion Ilia Topuria.
Woodson was one of the biggest winners to emerge from this past weekend’s year-ending UFC Fight Night in Tampa, where he stopped the highly touted Fernando Padilla with strikes seconds out from the first round coming to a close.
With that in mind, Woodson is looking to join them in the top 15 soon enough as he looks to surge all the way to the gold, which is currently held by the undefeated Topuria.
And should “El Matador” still be on the throne when he gets there, the Missouri native likes his chances.
During his post-fight press conference, Woodson expressed confidence when it comes to how he matches up against the Spaniard.
Given his height and frame, “The Sniper” insisted that he wouldn’t fall to the same fate against Topuria as both Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway did this year.
“(Topuria’s) super good – what he’s done so far is,” Woodson said. “But I’m not going to hold my tongue at all. I don’t feel like he’d be able to do me the way he’s done other people at all. He’s too small, too short. I’m a bad matchup for him. I saw online somebody say he gets up to like 187 (pounds), 190 (outside of camp). I don’t believe that at all. I don’t even get that big. He carries himself like he’s better than he is.
“I will say that I would love to fight him. I know I’m a long ways off from that, but I want that fight bad. I would love to fight him one day. I know it sounds crazy. I haven’t had the best (résumé). I ain’t fought (big names), whatever,” Woodson continued. “But I’m telling you right now, they do not do me like he’s done everybody.”
Woodson has plenty of work to do before having the opportunity to prove that assessment correct opposite Topuria inside the Octagon.
For now, he’ll be celebrating his latest triumph on MMA’s biggest stage and looking ahead to what he’ll no doubt hope will be a big 2025 in the career of “The Sniper.”
Coach Eric Nicksick, for one, has been extremely impressed by UFC welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley’s efforts in 2024.
Buckley closed out his year in style on Saturday night when he headlined the final event of 2024. Opposite him inside Tampa’s Amalie Arena was former interim champion Colby Covington, who planned on placing his name back into title contention a year on from a third failed bid for undisputed status.
With the result, “New Mansa” has gone 4-0 this year, having previously knocked out Vicente Luque, outpointed Nursulton Ruziboev, and stopped Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.
And according to Nicksick, that’s elevated him not only into the “Fighter of the Year” discussion, but above both consensus leading candidates Alex Pereira and Ilia Topuria.
Real talk, @Newmansa94 resurrection needs to be studied. 6-0 in a new division w/ 4 stoppages, 4-0 in 2024. Ladies and Gentlemen, he's your 2024 Fighter of the Year. I'm out 🫡
“Real talk, @Newmansa94 (Buckley) resurrection needs to be studied,” Nicksick wrote on X. “6-0 in a new division w/ 4 stoppages, 4-0 in 2024. Ladies and Gentlemen, he’s your 2024 Fighter of the Year. I’m out”
Pereira, the reigning light heavyweight kingpin, has staked his claim with three title defenses in 2024. After knockouts of Jamahal Hill and Jiří Procházka, “Poatan” most recently came from behind to batter Khalil Rountree in round four of their headline battle this past October.
Topuria, meanwhile, seemingly has the edge over the Brazilian in terms of competition level. Though he’s fought once less than Pereira, the Spaniard dethroned the highly regarded Alexander Volkanovski in brutal fashion before becoming the first man to knock out Max Holloway to retain the featherweight gold.
But taking into account his career revival since dropping to 170 pounds, Buckley appears to have the vote of one renowned trainer in the fight game.
UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria recently sparked a lot of conversation by revealing that he plans to move up to lightweight much sooner than expected. “El Matador” told Spanish radio show El Partidazo de COPE that he would like to face Charles Oliveira next time out at 155-pounds, claiming that we’ve already likely seen his last fight at featherweight.
Topuria’s coach, Jorge Climent, backed up this statement by providing more details about the difficult weight cut that the champion has to undergo in order to fight at featherweight. He claimed that the undefeated superstar is often 85 kilos which would make him over 40 pounds heavier than he needs to be on weigh-in day.
Topuria has received some criticism in the past for comments that he made about not wanting to stay in this division for too long so that he can pursue a second belt. In a response to some of the feedback he has received off the back of his latest lightweight plan, the 145-pound titleholder attempted to provide more context on X.
Following their respectful encounter inside the Octagon at UFC 308, it seemed clear that Topuria’s next title defense would be a rematch against the former champion Alexander Volkanovski. However, following the champion’s interview on Spanish radio, there was already talk about whether there should be a vacant title fight if he does leave the division.
He posted a message on social media to make it clear that though he does see a move up coming in the very near future, he doesn’t intend on giving up his belt in order to make that happen. He also clarified that there aren’t any concrete plans in place for his next steps as of yet.
“I will not leave the title vacant. The decision to move up to the next category is entirely mine. I haven’t had any conversations with the UFC yet, so everything is still to be decided. Stop celebrating because I’m not going anywhere. I have conquered my division and I will do the same in the next one.”
I will not leave the title vacant. The decision to move up to the next category is entirely mine. I haven't had any conversations with the UFC yet, so everything is still to be decided. Stop celebrating because I’m not going anywhere. I have conquered my division and I will do…
The coach of UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria has explained why his man is hoping to leave the 145-pound division behind him and pursue success elsewhere.
Those comments come one defense into the Spaniard’s reign, which begun with an emphatic knockout of Alexander Volkanovski this past February. He’s since repeated the feat at the expense of Max Holloway in Abu Dhabi to keep hold of the belt.
While many have been pondering a rematch with “Alexander the Great” or first-time clashes with in-form contenders like Movsar Evloev and Diego Lopes, Topuria is instead looking to compete in a title eliminator against Charles Oliveira at 155 pounds.
Many have been shocked by “El Matador’s” remarks, and during a recent appearance on Submission Radio, his coach added some context behind the decision by noting that a lack of motivation from potential opposition isn’t the reason.
“I think he is — he hates that weight (cut),” Climent said. “He do it a lot of times and it’s (much) harder every time we do it. He don’t want to do this anymore, and that’s why I want to go up to the next weight class.
“His normal way is in that weight class (lightweight),” Climent continued. “Ilia fighting (featherweight), he’s young, you know? Your body is changing. When you’re 20, you have the body. When you’re 25, you have another. And when you are 30, you have another, you know? Sometimes I see Ilia at 85 kilos, you know, and he needs to be 66. We do a very big weight cut.”
Ilia Topuria’s Coach Jorge Climent Reveals Weight Cut is the Main Reason Ilia Won’t Be Defending His Belt at 145 and moving to 155 Next:
While Topuria and Islam Makhachev have gone back and forth in recent months, the lightweight champ currently has business to attend to against Arman Tsarukyan before entertaining the prospect of a clash with his featherweight counterpart.
UFC lightweight contender Paddy Pimblett appears ready to renew hostilities with featherweight kingpin Ilia Topuria.
Pimblett and Topuria developed a sudden feud in 2022 after the latter took offense to remarks made about Georgia by the Liverpool native. They almost came to blows at the fighter hotel ahead of their respective matchups on a UFC Fight Night card in London.
At the time, the pair appeared to be on a collision course. Since then, however, “El Matador” has moved clear of “The Baddy” when it comes to UFC status, dropping to 145 pounds and capturing the crowd. Knockouts of Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway in 2024 have left him a leading candidate for the Fighter of the Year accolade.
With champion Islam Makhachev preoccupied dealing with the threat posed by Arman Tsarukyan, “El Matador” has called for a title eliminator opposite the #2-ranked Charles Oliveira.
Pimblett, meanwhile, sits 11 places lower than “do Bronx” in the pecking order, with his most recent wins coming over Tony Ferguson and King Green.
While the Spaniard has been getting plenty of plaudits since becoming the first man to sleep “Blessed” in Abu Dhabi this past October, talk has unsurprisingly turned to what could await him in 2025.
From a rematch with Volkanovski to first-time showdowns with Diego Lopes and Movsar Evloev, the latter of whom staked his claim with a victory over Aljamain Sterling at UFC 310 this past weekend, Topuria doesn’t appear short on options.
According to the champ himself, however, those names aren’t enticing enough.
During a recent interview with Spanish radio show El Partidazo de COPE, Topuria dropped a bombshell on his UFC career, suggesting that he’s likely competed at featherweight for the final time and will vacate the belt in order to move up to lightweight.
“There were talks of Miami, but I’m not sure because there are still some pending conversations,” Topuria said. “We need to talk about it and take a look at my future. For me, it is very clear how I want to do it. I’d like to move up to the next weight class.
“Since Islam is the champion fighting in January and won’t be ready for April or May, I’d like to fight the number one contender right now, who’s Charles Oliveira,” Topuria stated. “I’d like to move up a weight class. … Maybe there’s a change coming. … (It’s) very likely (you’ve seen my last fight at featherweight).”
“Do Bronx” has outlined his intention to be present at the Intuit Dome when Makhachev and Tsarukyan collide, anticipating that his next opponent will be decided.
Topuria’s plans could throw a curveball into the mix, however. But it remains to be seen if his plan to shockingly end his featherweight stint will be supported by the promotion, especially with growing calls for “El Matador” to defend his gold in Spain next year.
Following the year that Ilia Topuria has had, some fans are coming around to the idea of seeing him move up a weight class in the future. Many are growing tired of the want for every fighter to become a two-division champion rather than achieving total dominance in their own weight class and this was the case with “El Matador” at first.
However, after he did exactly what he said he would do and stopped Max Holloway at UFC 308, it’s becoming hard to deny him what he wants. With his back-to-back wins over “Blessed” and Alexander Volkanovski, Topuria has proved that he’s one of the best in the world right now.
“We’ll have to talk. It will happen 100 percent. He’s been talking about me non stop, he probably wants to let us know something but I have no idea what. Well, we will talk and find out… We will fight if we have to.”
Despite saying that they can make the fight happen if it’s called for, Makhachev went on to say that he isn’t particularly excited about the idea. The 155-pound champion had his own plans to move up a weight class until his training partner Belal Muhammad became the welterweight champion in July.
Having defeated Volkanovski twice whilst “The Great” was the featherweight champion, it makes sense why he wouldn’t want to fight another titleholder from the division below just yet.
“In terms of my fighting career, I have no interest in fighting Ilia Topuria. He represents another weight class so what if we fight and I beat him, what’s there for me? I won’t win another belt and everybody will once again say that I beat a featherweight and that’s it. But, if people really want to see him lose, well, we can do it.”
Islam Makhachev says he and Ilia Topuria need to talk and find out what’s up…👀
UFC featherweight contender Diego Lopes insists he won’t shy away from a firefight should Ilia Topuria repeat his point-and-throw invitation against him down the line.
The Mexico-based Brazilian was cageside for UFC 308 after weighing in as backup fighter for the championship main event. That fact, coupled with his triumph over Brian Ortega at the Sphere this past September, has put Lopes in prime position for a first shot at gold.
And should he get the chance to blemish Topuria’s perfect record in 2025, the #3-ranked contender has called on the Spaniard to repeat how he started the Holloway fight.
During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Lopes welcomed an early brawl with Topuria, who made good on his promise to point down and offer to throw the kitchen sink at “Blessed” in the opening 10 seconds.
Holloway didn’t stray from his plan to dismiss that, but Lopes claims he’d do the exact opposite.
“Definitely, definitely, definitely,” Lopes said in Spanish when asked if he’d throw down with Topuria. “I’m telling you, I respect everyone, but I’m not afraid of anyone. If there’s anything I don’t have, it’s fear. I think I’ve shown that in all my fights. I’ve shown that I’m not afraid of anyone.
“As many times as he wants to point to the ground, I will plant my feet in the middle of the cage and throw down. It’s that easy,” he added.
Following the champ’s successful defense in the Middle East, UFC CEO Dana White pointed to Volkanovski as Topuria’s likely next opponent owing to his stint as kingpin prior to running into “El Matador” this past February.
Ilia Topuria’s coach, Jorge Climent, believes a fight between Topuria and Paddy Pimblett would be a complete mismatch, lacking any real competition. There was discussion two years ago about the potential outcome if the UFC featherweight champion were to face the lightweight star.
Tensions between the two fighters escalated in March 2022 when they got into a scuffle at a Fight Night event in London. This altercation followed a series of exchanges on social media, where Pimblett made inflammatory remarks about the Russo-Georgian War.
In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Climent revealed that despite Pimblett’s trash talk, he wasn’t interested in the fight, and that the UFC has seemingly protected him as a rising star, even though Topuria pushed to make the matchup happen. “I don’t know if that kid is ready to fight someone at a championship level right now,” Climent stated. “Who has he beaten? They keep putting average opponents in front of him just so he can stay relevant. He’s popular because of his personality and the way he talks, but I don’t see him having the skill to face Ilia, and I don’t think he’s earned it.”
When asked how he thinks a potential fight would go, Climent added, “What would that be—abuse?”
Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen sees no reason why the promotion couldn’t pair featherweight kingpin Ilia Topuria with Sean O’Malley next year.
O’Malley ignited talk of pursuing two-division glory following Topuria’s rise to the 145-pound throne at the start of 2024. At the time, “Suga” occupied top spot in the bantamweight division and would soon add a successful defense to his reign at the expense of Marlon Vera.
With that, a possible superfight with “El Matador” appeared to take some damage. But despite O’Malley putting his sights on redemption against Dvalishvili and a second stint with 135-pound gold in his possession, Sonnen has questioned why Topuria is now out of the question.
During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, “The American Gangster” pointed out that Alex Pereira’s rise to a second title was made possible by his knockout loss to Israel Adesanya.
Believing it to be easier to move up without a title, Sonnen doesn’t see a clash between Topuria and bantamweight contender O’Malley in 2025 to be a “crazy” idea.
“One of the big talking points this week is what could have been. What could have been with a superfight between Sean O’Malley and Ilia Topuria, how massive that could have been,” Sonnen said. “The thing holding up a superfight between Topuria and Sean O’Malley is not Merab or Merab getting a decision over Sean or Sean not being the champion. It is none of those things. That is not true. Had Sean won, he and Ilia Topuria would not be fighting. They had not cleaned out their divisions, respectively.
“If I’m right, but you’re also right in that that’s the massive fight, we can now make it and we can make it right now. The thing in the way of it (was) Sean being the champion at 135. They can now do that fight,” Sonnen continued. “The quickest way you’re ever gonna get Pereira vs. (Tom) Aspinall or Pereira vs. (Jon) Jones…(is) if Pereira is to lose at light heavyweight. That is how we got Pereira to the 205-pound class to start with. … It’s not a crazy idea. … What if he (O’Malley) did take 10 or 12 months? 10 or 12 months to put on some size and he comes right up and challenges Ilia Topuria.”
It remains to be seen whether O’Malley or the promotion may have the same idea as Sonnen down the line. For now, it appears that “Suga” is intent on avenging his loss to Dvalishvili once healed from the surgery he underwent to repair a torn labrum last month.
If unibrow and Merab don’t fight by the end of the year I’m fighting Merab in March. 🖕🏽 suck my sac if you don’t like that.
The coach of Alexander Volkanovski believes UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria hasn’t yet earned a chance to add the lightweight belt to his collection.
Topuria has risen to the 145-pound mountaintop in brutal fashion this year, first knocking out Volkanovski to capture the crown at UFC 298 in Anaheim this past February.
The Spaniard is quickly building a strong legacy at featherweight, and at the age of just 27, he has plenty of time to achieve his goal of surpassing the champs that came before him in the division.
In addition to going back and forth with the Dagestani on social media, Topuria has even vowed to beat Makhachev at his own game by becoming the first to submit him.
One man who is certainly familiar with the lightweight champ, however, has told Topuria to hold his horses…
During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, coach Joe Lopez reacted to Topuria’s talk of a move up in weight. Volkanovski’s trainer insisted that “El Matador” remains far from having earned the right to challenge the titleholder above him.
“That’s great (Topuria wanting Makhachev), but you’ve gotta have — like with anybody, you’ve gotta have at least five or six title defenses before you start looking at doubling up,” Lopez said. “You’re just holding up divisions. When you’ve cleaned out a division, then you’ve got the right to jump up a division. Until then, you’ve just gotta fight the cause in your division, you know?
“I guess it’s like jumping the queue and you want to have the title shot before somebody else that’s above you, you know? But it’s just human nature, I guess,” Lopez continued. “Everybody wants that double champ status ’cause it’s very rare to get.”
Volkanovski himself recorded four successful defenses before his first opportunity to add a second title to his trophy cabinet in 2023. A fifth then came ahead of a sophomore chance at unseating Makhachev on short notice that same year.
People are still buzzing about Ilia Topuria’s stellar performance against Max Holloway at UFC 308, where Topuria made history by becoming the first fighter ever to finish Holloway.
This victory extended Topuria’s undefeated streak to an impressive 16-0. It came on the heels of his knockout win over Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298, where he claimed the featherweight title.
The New High-Water Mark
During a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, UFC color commentator Joe Rogan shared his thoughts on Topuria as the new “measuring stick” in MMA.
“Ilia is fast as f*ck,” Rogan said. “He’s not slow at all. He doesn’t have any disadvantages. He doesn’t have any weaknesses, man. That’s the thing. That’s why I say he’s the new high-water mark. There are people who think he’s the best pound-for-pound fighter alive.”
Rogan went on, “There’s a lot of discussion about that online. It’s a little premature, especially with Jon Jones still out there, and there are other elite fighters too – Islam Makhachev is another one. There’s a real argument that he’s the best pound-for-pound guy alive, but it’s f*cking close. Ilia – he might be the best.”
Meanwhile, “Poatan” successfully defended his light heavyweight title three times in just six months, with all victories coming by way of knockout. He began this impressive streak by stopping Jamahal Hill in the first round at UFC 300 in April. He then defeated Jiri Prochazka on two weeks’ notice at UFC 303 in June. Most recently, Pereira stopped Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307 earlier this month.
With less than two full months remaining in 2024, Pereira stood out as the leading contender for Fighter of the Year. However, “The Immortal” contends that Topuria’s impressive knockout victories over two of the top 145-pounders in history had already secured him the year-end accolade, placing him ahead of the Brazilian and all other contenders.
During a recent episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer (via MMA Fighting), Brown noted that while “El Matador” might have one fewer win than Pereira this year, the caliber of his opponents in title fights has set a new benchmark for competitive excellence.
“Alex didn’t knock out three pound-for-pound greats. Ilia knocked out two pound-for-pound greats,” Brown said. “As great as those guys were that Alex fought, they weren’t Holloway or Volkanovski… I don’t think you can compare to that. I’m all on the Ilia train for Fighter of the Year. Again, I wish we could give something to Alex. What he did was remarkable but it wasn’t Max Holloway and Volkanovski.”
“I think he’s got a lock for Fighter of the Year this year. He’s got a long reign ahead of him. He’s still got a long way to go to be up there with the [Georges St-Pierre’s] and Anderson Silva’s, but he’s right on that path.”
UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria is the man of the moment right now following his knockout win over Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 308. In the past, there was a lot of people calling out “El Matador” but this has gone quiet following this recent performance.
The new UFC star has now beaten two great former champions in back-to-back fights, finishing both Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski. It wasn’t that long ago that the champion of the weight class below was eyeing up a fight with him.
Before Sean O’Malley lost his bantamweight belt to Merab Dvalishvili, who certainly isn’t going to fight Topuria, “Suga” had teased the idea of moving up in weight. Topuria appeared to welcome it but after what he did in Abu Dhabi at the weekend, O’Malley jokingly remarked that he’s no longer interested.
Despite this, O’Malley’s long time coach Tim Welch believes that the 135-pounder could cause Topuria some issues due to the strengths be brings to the table. Many are looking at the featherweight champion and his undefeated record as an unbeatable fighter in this current form.
Welch explained in a recent interview with Submission Radio why this is never the case and how O’Malley would be able to have success against him.
“No, I don’t think it’s past. I mean, you never know what’s going to happen in the UFC. It’s not impossible that Volkanovski goes out there and beats Ilia Topuria. I mean, that’s possible so you never know and I do think stylistically, Sean could give Ilia problems. He really could but Ilia Topuria is a very, very scary fight.
“That’s not a fight that you go in there and be like, ‘Oh yeah man we’re gonna…’, it’s like you make one mistake with Ilia Topuria and you’re going to be lights out, looking up at the ceiling or whatever but that’s a scary, scary fight. But I do believe that Sean, with his range and with his speed and with his, with his I mean, just his, his overall skill set, he could give Ilia problems. I do believe that.”
Despite being faced with a previously indestructible chin, “El Matador” vowed to put Holloway down for the first time. And against the predictions of many, the 27-year-old did just that after connecting with a vicious left hook in round three.
With the result, Topuria has added a successful defense to his reign, remained undefeated in MMA, and staked a strong claim for 2024’s Fighter of the Year accolade.
Among those running out of superlatives for the Spaniard is Cormier, who analyzed where the champ sits among the all-time featherweight greats during a video uploaded to his YouTube channel.
Plenty of comparisons have been made between Topuria and Conor McGregor in recent times, and the Irishman has even dismissed the reigning titleholder’s talents compared to his featherweight iteration.
“DC,” however, sees parts of “El Matador’s” game that go above and beyond McGregor’s.
“I don’t know if we have ever seen a guy at 145 that punches like this dude. He hits like no one I’ve ever seen before,” Cormier said. “Conor McGregor had great power at 145, but Conor McGregor I don’t think had the skills that Ilia Topuria has in terms of his pure boxing, without going and fighting a pure boxing match.
“I was talking to some of the people in the back and they told me, ‘He’s like GGG (Gennadiy Golovkin),’ and I agree. Remember GGG just used to starch dudes early in his career? Topuria’s like that. Topuria is that guy,” Cormier continued. “He has that power to knock you out and just do it in absolutely devastating fashion. You try to find the words to describe him, but it’s proving very, very difficult. I never thought that anybody would be able to knock out Max Holloway.”
While getting McGregor back to the cage to fight Michael Chandler proved too much of a challenge in recent years, talk of him doing battle with Topuria has suddenly gained strength in the aftermath of UFC 308.
Volkanovski will evidently have something to say about that, however, having been confirmed as next in line for Topuria by UFC CEO Dana White following the Abu Dhabi-held PPV.
Say what you will, McGregor x Topuria would be one of the biggest fights in UFC history. pic.twitter.com/qjA6QTGgAW
Former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is backing Ilia Topuria for 2024’s Fighter of the Year accolade despite Alex Pereira’s record-breaking run.
After shockingly putting Volkanovski down in Anaheim this past February, “El Matador” repeated the feat at Holloway’s expense, becoming the first to knock the Hawaiian out in the process.
Just weeks ago, many saw the Fighter of the Year debate as being wrapped up after Pereira defeated Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 to record his third successful light heavyweight defense of the year.
And during an appearance on Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Volkanovski said there wouldn’t even be a debate about “Poatan” pipping Topuria to the post if it wasn’t for the way in which his assignments came together.
The Australian pointed out that Pereira is credited with ‘saving’ the promotion after a struggle to find a suitable UFC 300 main event and the late-notice withdrawal of Conor McGregor weeks before UFC 303.
“A few things come into play when you’re saving cards. Put it this way, if it wasn’t Pereira saving cards and putting his belt on the line while saving cards, it would be clearly Ilia,” Volkanovski said. “Yeah, you’ve had three defenses, but the two that Ilia took out and finished us both, it’s hard to pick against Ilia, to be honest.
“Before this past weekend, I was like, ‘How does Pereira not get it?’ It was pretty clear,” Volkanovski continued. “It’s pretty impressive, man. It’s tough to say.”
The level of competition Topuria has faced, however — alongside the manner with which he’s beaten two of the greatest of all time — has made him a popular choice for Fighter of the Year.
Beyond that discussion concluding in a couple of months’ time, Volkanovski appears likely to be the one next tasked with bringing Topuria’s violent run to an end.
After he entered the cage for a respectful interaction with the champ in Abu Dhabi, the Australian was confirmed as the next challenger by UFC CEO Dana White, setting the stage for a monumental rematch in 2025.
The UFC’s pound-for-pound list continues to be a major talking point amongst fight fans following this past weekend’s big event in Abu Dhabi. In the main event, featherweight champion Ilia Topuria retained the title and kept his undefeated record intact when he stopped Max Holloway.
Topuria’s current run has been one of the most impressive in recent years with dominant performances on his way up the ladder being capped off with knockout victories over two of the greatest champions in UFC history in Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski.
Many believe that this win puts him at the forefront to win fighter of the year but to some people’s surprise, it hasn’t seen him move on the pound-for-pound list even though he became the first man to knockout another member of the top 15 rankings.
“El Matador” remains in possession of the #4-ranking, sitting him behind Jon Jones, Alex Pereira and Islam Makhachev as the current Mount Rushmore of greatness in the UFC. Jones’ position on the list in particular has been heavily debated throughout the year.
Though Dana White has passionately made the case for why Jones deserves the top spot because he’s the greatest to ever do it, many make the case for why Makhachev and Pereira are deservedly higher due to their recent activity and strength of schedule.
MMA fans reacted on social media to the latest rankings update that saw Jones remain in his position.
“They’re scared of how Dana will react if he overtakes jones”
They’re scared of how Dana will react if he overtakes jones
“Ilia KOd the 2 best fighters in his division almost flatlined them while Jon just submitted a striker in his division years ago”
Ilia KOd the 2 best fighters in his division almost flatlined them while Jon just submitted a striker in his division years agopic.twitter.com/6I7mF2SazQ
“Ilia Topuria should be 3. Since Alex Pereira has become champ in two weight classes in two years that gives him the edge for me when it comes to a P4P list. There’s no reason Jon Jones is in front, though.”
Ilia Topuria should be 3. Since Alex Pereira has become champ in two weight classes in two years that gives him the edge for me when it comes to a P4P list. There’s no reason Jon Jones is in front, though.
Despite the incredible run that Alexander Volkanovski went on as the featherweight champion, he’s going to be the underdog in his upcoming rematch with Ilia Topuria. When the two men exchanged pleasantries inside the Octagon this past weekend at UFC 308, it was clear that this fight would be next but there’s some big question marks hanging over it.
After the way that Topuria stopped Volkanovski in February and then went on to finish Max Holloway in Abu Dhabi, “El Matador” is on his own iconic run right now and that’s going to be difficult for the former champion to stop.
One of the major talking points of their first encounter does come back around for the rematch though and that’s how much Volkanovski was affected by his knockout loss to Islam Makhachev several months before. A lot of people who picked Topuria to win that fight did so with the belief that “The Great” had jumped back in too quickly, especially when facing someone with the kind of power that his opponent is known for.
In a recent interview with Submission Radio, this is something that Topuria’s coach drew attention to as why they cannot afford to take this rematch lightly just because they’ve beaten their next opponent before.
Jorge Climent, of Climent Club in Alicante, said that he expects a better version of the former champion meaning that this isn’t just a re-treading of steps for the featherweight king.
“I think Volk in a rematch is going to be more dangerous than the first time because I think when he take the fight, is not the moment for fight with Ilia. If I’m his coach, I’m going to tell Volk in that moment, is not the right moment. You have a knockout, you have a fight, I don’t remember exactly, two months and you have a knockout. I think he have the time for recovery and to think and do a better strategy with Ilia.”
Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is confident he could hand featherweight kingpin Ilia Topuria his first defeat in mixed martial arts.
Eight months on from his crowning at the expense of Alexander Volkanovski, “El Matador” added a successful defense to his résumé by becoming the first to knock the previously indestructible Holloway out.
Having gotten past two of the division’s best this year, many are wondering who at 145 pounds could unseat the Spaniard. During a recent podcast episode uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sterling put his name in the hat.
‘Funk Master,” who won his featherweight debut against Calvin Kattar at UFC 300 this past April, explained how his style could pose problems for Topuria that both Volkanovski and Holloway’s did not.
“I ain’t standing with that guy. I would never stand and trade with that guy! I saw comments from the reaction, ‘You should change weight classes.’ I thought that was so funny… I made a joke, ‘I want to go back to 135,’” Sterling joked. “I’ll point to the ground but I’ll do my running man dance instead.
“If I were to fight him, god willing, I beat Movsar and I do get the crack, I do think I have a great style to neutralize his offense,” Sterling continued. “Most of these guys are striking with him. I ain’t doing that, bro! I ain’t doing that. We’re sitting there looking for a takedown. I have to make it a grappling match. I’m trying to the the W, I’m not trying to get my brain and my head sent to the next dimension again. I’m cool on that.”
When fans reacted to those remarks on social media by taking aim at his striking, Sterling hit back and defended his boxing.
Not to intervene too much in you guys’ debate, but to say my boxing “is ass” is…comical. Other than a botched rehydration performance against Yan 1, how did you come to this conclusion? https://t.co/mTIV2HbWgy
Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley watched on this past weekend as Ilia Topuria, a man whom he’s discussed fighting down the line, continued his violent undefeated run.
Topuria returned to headline Saturday’s UFC 308 pay-per-view eight months on from his featherweight title crowning in Anaheim. After getting the better of one divisional legend in Alexander Volkanovski, “El Matador” repeated the feat in Abu Dhabi.
During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, O’Malley reacted to the main event at Etihad Arena, which saw Topuria further enhance his legacy on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage.
“God, Ilia’s a f*cking finisher, huh? He’ll jump on you,” O’Malley said. “Ilia’s so dangerous until the last bell. … Ilia landed a beautiful left hook. … This is exciting times. Great time to be alive. great time to be a UFC fan.
“Ilia just hurt Max bad…Ilia lands a bomb. Max is still stunned. Oh! Left hook! Ilia finishes Max Holloway with a left hook in round three. Holy sh*t, Ilia is that guy,” O’Malley continued. “Who at 145 wants to fight Ilia right now? Ilia’s just so dangerous the whole fight. He’s a like a little f*cking Alex Pereira. You can’t tell me Islam (Makhachev) vs. f*cking Ilia isn’t a fight you’d want to see.”
Talk of a super fight involving Topuria previously centered around O’Malley looking to move up to 145 pounds to challenge “El Matador.” But while that might have been on the menu should he have turned away Merab Dvalishvili’s challenge, O’Malley was unseated from the bantamweight throne inside the Sphere last month.
For now, though, the Spaniard will seemingly need to further cement his grip on the crown at 145 pounds by adding a second win over Volkanovski to his UFC résumé.
He did EXACTLY what he said he'd do 🤯@TopuriaIlia just knocked out Max Holloway at #UFC308!
Following Ilia Topuria’s successful title defense this past weekend, the coach of UFC lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev has assessed the possibility of a champ vs. champ collision down the line.
Topuria cemented his grip on the featherweight gold in the main event of Saturday’s UFC 308 pay-per-view, which he headlined opposite fan favorite Max Holloway eight months on from his crowning at the expense of Alexander Volkanovski in Anaheim.
At just 27 years old, Topuria has already established himself as one of the featherweight division’s all-time greats. And at such a young age, the Georgian-Spaniard has plenty of time to achieve his other ambitions on MMA’s biggest stage.
That unsurprisingly includes two-division glory, and having already recorded a vicious KO up at 155 pounds back in 2022, Topuria is confident in his chances of adding the UFC lightweight belt to his trophy collection.
During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Javier Mendez — coach of current lightweight titleholder Makhachev — reacted to Topuria’s triumph in Abu Dhabi.
The AKA trainer threw praise on the featherweight champ, notably branding his boxing the best in mixed martial arts. With that in mind, he wouldn’t be looking to have Makhachev throw down with the Spaniard in a potential super fight down the line.
“I mean, when he took Max down with ease in the first round, I said, ‘That’s the way you fight MMA.’ And he has a very strong stand-up game,” Mendez said. “I would think that he’s probably the best boxer in the whole entire division. He’s really crisp and very on point with his boxing, and therefore you see how he uses it really, really well. His boxing, I think, is his best attribute out of everything he does. He’s impressive, very impressive. … I’ve been saying he’s a good boxer. But last night proved to me that he’s the best boxer presently in the UFC. Actually, in the entire world. He’s the best boxer in MMA.
“That would be an area I’d be foolish to want to try to go up against, boxing for boxing. That’s not a smart move, you know? And it just would be like, if Ilia decided to go submission for submission with Islam, that’s not a smart move on his part either,” Mendez continued. “So, it’s all strategy, and how you approach it, how your fighter approaches it, and, you know, what mistakes you can correct while the fight is going on. That’s what I think is more important than anything. When the fight does get matched, it’s just your gameplan, your strategy, executing it, you know?”
And if Topuria was to attempt to beat Makhachev at his own game, Mendez warned that he’d be taking on a challenge only achieved by the great Khabib Nurmagomedov.
“The only person that really did the most with him was Khabib. And at the end of the day, the longer you grapple with Islam, the worse it’s going to get,” Mendez concluded.
The lightweight champ didn’t have much to say in the aftermath of the UFC 308 main event and didn’t address a potential clash with his featherweight counterpart down the line. Instead, Makhachev offered his congratulations to Topuria and some comforting words for the defeated Holloway.
Congrats champ it was amazing Keep your head up Max you are a legend #UFC308
The Dagestani’s focus, then, is no doubt entirely on the challenge seemingly awaiting him in January 2025, as he prepares to run it back with Arman Tsarukyan.
The Georgian-Spaniard did so emphatically, becoming the first to knock “Blessed” out to continue his ruie atop the featherweight mountain and stake a strong claim for Fighter of the Year in 2024.
The champ’s rise has been a rapid one, coming just a couple of years on from his name becoming more familiar owing to a blossoming feud with Pimblett. After taking offense to the Liverpool native’s remarks online, the pair almost came to blows at a hotel during fight week for a UFC Fight Night in London.
While that appeared to lay the foundation for a future fight, Topuria has since returned to the lower weight and created a firm gap between himself and Pimblett in regard to their standing in the UFC.
During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Pimblett reacted live to Saturday’s Topuria-headlined PPV at Etihad Arena.
Despite Topuria dispatching one of the featherweight division’s greatest in Holloway — who was coming off a dominant lightweight win over Justin Gaethje — “The Baddy” remains confident of his chances should he and Topuria meet at 155 pounds down the line.
“Heavy…Hand sanitiser boy with the win? Heavy,” Pimblett said. “Well done, Ilia, give you your due lad, 16-0 hand sanitiser boy. I can’t wait for him to come back up to lightweight, I still think I’d beat him. I really do, I still think I’d beat him, lad. Whether he’s just beat Max Holloway or not, I still think I’d beat him. Kicking him on the feet or taking him down and submitting him, I genuinely think I’d beat him, but congrats Ilia Topuria, well done son, congratulations, lad.
“Obviously, hand sanitiser boy knocked Holloway out. I didn’t see that coming but give him his due, good finish. Max was the better boxer, but Ilia is the better swinger, he ended up catching him with them shots on the button,” Pimblett continued. “So congrats, fella. Can’t wait for Volk (Volkanovski) to come back and beat you up, and I’m willing to, any time.”
Given their interaction inside the cage at UFC 308 and Dana White’s subsequent remarks, it would appear that Topuria’s next step will be a rematch with Volkanovski in 2025.
Eventually, though, “El Matador” has outlined his plans to challenge for two-division glory. Whether a lightweight move in pursuit of doing so would result in his and Pimblett’s paths crossing, however, remains to be seen.
Ilia Topuria faced an unexpected moment in his fight with Max Holloway on Saturday night. Topuria made history at UFC 308, becoming the first fighter ever to finish Holloway, cementing his place as a top featherweight contender.
This victory extended Topuria’s undefeated record to 16-0, building on his previous win over Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298, where he claimed the featherweight title by knockout.
Surprising Moment
Before the fight, Topuria had expressed his intent to engage Holloway in a slugfest, planning to point to the ground and call for a toe-to-toe battle. Holloway had initially doubted that Topuria would follow through, yet when the moment came, it was Holloway who didn’t engage.
“That surprised me,” Topuria admitted. “I pointed to the ground, and he didn’t stop in the middle of the octagon. He started with some bullsh*t like that. You called yourself the bull, and you said, ‘I’m the bull, and ‘The Matador’ is running from me.’ But you never see a bull doing this. It surprised me a little, so I had to adjust the game plan. But at the end of the day, I got the knockout.”
Ilia Topuria made a powerful statement on Saturday night, becoming the first fighter in history to finish Max Holloway as he defeated the future Hall of Famer in the main event of UFC 308.
Holloway came into the fight with momentum, fresh off a knockout victory over Justin Gaethje that earned him the BMF (Baddest Motherf*cker) title. However, there’s now a new, unofficial champion in town.
Unofficial Champion Crowned
Although the BMF belt wasn’t officially up for grabs, that hasn’t stopped Topuria from claiming the title for himself.
“I never understood why they didn’t put the BMF title on the line,” Topuria told reporters at the UFC 308 post-fight press conference. “It should have been on the line from day one. But if they don’t want to make it official, I’ll make it official myself. Now, I’m the new ‘Baddest Motherf*cker’ world champion.”
With this victory, Topuria extended his undefeated streak to 16-0. He previously became the featherweight king in February at UFC 298 with a knockout win over Alexander Volkanovski.
