Ilia Topuria has stated that if he moves up to welterweight to fight Islam Makhachev, he plans to return to the lightweight division afterward while keeping his featherweight title. Topuria believes the situation would be different from a typical weight class move because he intends to come back down. The statement suggests Topuria is considering a superfight scenario while maintaining his championship status. This reflects ongoing speculation about potential matchups between champions across different weight classes.
Ilia Topuria has declared that he would hold onto his featherweight title if he moves up two weight classes to challenge Islam Makhachev at welterweight, with the Georgian-Spanish star insisting he plans to drop back down to lightweight afterward rather than make a permanent jump.
Topuria, known as El Matador, currently holds the featherweight championship and sits at number one in the pound-for-pound rankings. The 29-year-old from Spain carries a 17-1-0 record and has built a reputation as one of the most active strikers in the sport, landing 4.81 significant strikes per minute with 48 percent accuracy. Standing five-foot-seven with a 175 cm reach, he is a natural featherweight stepping into significantly larger territory.
Makhachev, the reigning welterweight champion and pound-for-pound number two, represents a formidable obstacle at 28-1-0. The 34-year-old Russian out of Eagles MMA is a dominant grappler who averages 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands 2.63 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy. At five-foot-ten with a 178 cm reach, the southpaw holds notable physical advantages over Topuria across every measurable dimension.
Topuria's argument is that his situation would differ from a standard divisional move because he intends to return to featherweight after any potential welterweight bout, framing the fight as a one-off superfight rather than a true weight class change.
Why it matters
- Topuria holds the featherweight belt and sits at number one in the pound-for-pound rankings, meaning any cross-divisional bout would carry enormous prestige
- A welterweight superfight between the two champions would pit the sport's top two pound-for-pound fighters against each other
- The style contrast — Topuria's high-volume striking against Makhachev's elite wrestling and submission game — makes for a compelling matchup on paper
- Topuria's plan to retain his featherweight title throughout raises questions about how the UFC would handle championship logistics
