Topuria says he would retain featherweight title if he moves up to face Makhachev

Ilia Topuria has stated that he believes he would keep his featherweight title if he were to move up to welterweight to fight Islam Makhachev. Topuria clarified that if he moves up to welterweight, things will be different because he would return to the lightweight division after that fight. The statement suggests Topuria is thinking about a potential superfight while maintaining his current championship status. He appears confident that moving up in weight would not result in him vacating the featherweight belt. The exact context and likelihood of such a matchup remains unclear from the brief statement.