Ilia Topuria has set his sights on a blockbuster showdown with Islam Makhachev, suggesting he would be willing to move up in weight in pursuit of a third UFC title, Idman.Biz reports.
The Georgian fighter, who currently holds the UFC lightweight belt, was asked about a potential clash with reigning welterweight champion Makhachev. Speaking in an interview with streamer Adin Ross, Topuria made it clear he is thinking big. “The ideal scenario is to fight him at welterweight so I have the chance to win a third belt,” he said. “But there’s also another great scenario - to fight at a catchweight between 70 and 77 kilos. For that, they’d need to create a new belt and call it the ‘Best pound-for-pound’, because Islam is number one and I’m number two.”
A meeting between the two would pit the top two fighters in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings against each other, adding further intrigue to a contest already rich in narrative. Makhachev has built a reputation as one of the most dominant champions in the sport, while Topuria remains unbeaten in 17 professional MMA bouts.
The Russian boasts 28 victories from 29 fights, underlining the scale of the challenge. Yet Topuria’s confidence reflects his rapid rise and growing status within the promotion, and talk of a cross-division super-fight is likely to intensify if both men continue their winning runs.
