Ilia Topuria stated that if he moves up to welterweight to fight Islam Makhachev, everything would be different because he would return to the lightweight division afterward. The featherweight champion appears confident he could compete at 170 pounds and still maintain his title at 145 pounds. This suggests Topuria is open to a superfight with the lightweight champion while planning to defend his featherweight belt. The comments indicate Topuria's ambition to test himself against higher weight classes.
Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria has made clear he would not surrender his 145-pound title if he were to move up two weight classes for a superfight against Islam Makhachev, stating publicly that any such move would be temporary and that he would return to featherweight afterward.
Topuria, nicknamed El Matador, holds a 17-1-0 record and currently sits at number one in the pound-for-pound rankings at just 29 years old. The Spanish fighter competes out of Climent Club and brings one of the more aggressive striking outputs in the sport, landing 4.81 significant strikes per minute. His comments suggest a growing confidence that his skill set could translate against elite competition well above his natural weight class.
Standing in the opposite corner of any potential superfight would be Makhachev, who currently holds the welterweight title with a 28-1-0 record and ranks at the top of the pound-for-pound list. The 34-year-old Russian, who trains with Eagles MMA, is one of the more complete fighters in the world, averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and landing 58 percent of his significant strikes. At five-foot-ten with a 70-inch reach, he also carries a notable size advantage over the five-foot-seven Topuria.
Why it matters
- Topuria moving up to welterweight would pit the number-one pound-for-pound fighter against the reigning welterweight champion, making it one of the highest-profile superfights the sport could offer.
- His insistence on retaining the featherweight title frames the bout as an exhibition of ambition rather than a division change, which would add a unique dimension to any negotiation.
- The stark size and reach difference between the two men sets up a compelling style contrast between Topuria's high-volume striking and Makhachev's grappling-driven pressure game.
