After striking the division like a whirlwind and destroying the two-horse race by emerging at the top of the trifecta, Featherweight king Ilia Topuria abdicated his UFC title. The development came out of nowhere on Wednesday, leading fans and experts to contemplate about his next move. While the popular word is that he will climb the weight ladder and enter the Lightweight division to make the dream match against Islam Makhachev transform into reality.
Also Read | Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov: Who is the richest UFC Superstar in 2025
Joe Rogan Wanted It and He Got It
Ilia Topuria vacating the title has brought Alexander Volkanovaksi back into the title picture. The former champion will take on Diego Lupes at UFC 314, for the vacant UFC Featherweight title (Yet to be announced). Though the update came all of a sudden, it was expected and UFC commentator Joe Rogan expressed the desire for it to happen days before it actually happened.
“As crazy as it sounds, I hope Ilia goes up to [155lb]. I really do,” UFC personality Joe Rogan said earlier this month. “Volkanovski vs Lopes [at] 145, Ilia goes up to ‘55. I don’t care if he only defended the title one time or didn’t, who cares? Let’s go. Let’s f***ing go.
“It’d be nice [to see him fight some of the other contenders at featherweight] but also who cares? Let’s go. Let’s f***ing go.”
Also Read | UFC 315 fight card, start time, date and location | Muhammad vs Della Maddalena
Makhachev Will Enter as the Favourite Against Topuria
Though a fight announcement between Topuria and Makhachev will send the fans into a frenzy, a deeper narrative will emerge which will shed light on the same query which has been asked a lot in the last few years but always the same answer has prevailed.
Islam Makhavhev's dominance as the Lightweight champion has been unparalleled. The fighter has convincingly defeated whoever has challenged him for the championship and his reign does not seem to end. Thus, with a daunting challenge in front of him, can Ilia Topuria do what many have tried but failed? Should the colossal clash materialise, the pre-match odds will favour Makhachev. Howbeit, if Topuria somehow manages to beat the Pound-For-Pound No.1 fighter then it will be one of the glorious runs in history, quite similar to what Conor McGregor had back in the day when he became the first fighter to carry two titles simultaneously.