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Chael Sonnen recently weighed in on Ilia Topuria’s rumored plans to eye championships in three different UFC divisions. 'El Matador' had his sights set on a high-profile clash with reigning UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in a bid to secure a second divisional title. He has also previously voiced his ambition to eventually move up to welterweight in pursuit of a third championship belt.
Topuria is now slated to face Charles Oliveira for the soon-to-be-vacant lightweight title at UFC 317 on June 28. This development comes after UFC CEO Dana White confirmed that Makhachev will be vacating the 155-pound belt as he prepares to make his anticipated move up to the 170-pound division.
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The former UFC featherweight champion's brother, Aleksandre Topuria, recently stated in an interview with a Spanish media outlet that Ilia plans to challenge Makhachev if the Dagestani manages to defeat reigning UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena.
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During a recent episode of ESPN’s Good Guy/Bad Guy with Daniel Cormier, Sonnen shared his reservations about Topuria’s ambitions to become a triple-champ. The UFC veteran argued that ‘El Matador’ should have bypassed the lightweight division altogether and immediately pursued the welterweight title after vacating his 145-pound belt:
"The problem is when Ilia Topuria walked away from '45 [pound] and behind closed doors got a guaranteed title fight, he should have cashed in at 170 right then. Nobody ever skips a weight class, and excuse me, '45 and '55—you guys weigh the same thing."
He added:
"I am so tired of these '45 pounders and '55 pounders arguing about who's bigger. You guys weigh the same; it's the same thing. It's 10 pounds. The move was to do what Conor McGregor, our former '45 champion, did. He went up to 170, he skipped '55. He went from '45 when he took on [Nate] Diaz at '70."
Check out Chael Sonnen's comments below (20:30):
When Belal Muhammad rejected Ilia Topuria’s triple championship pursuit
Ilia Topuria consistently targeted Belal Muhammad during his reign as UFC welterweight champion, labeling 'Remeber the Name' an easy opponent. This provocation eventually sparked a heated exchange between the two on social media.
During an interview with MMA Fighting in October, Muhammad downplayed Topuria’s challenge, writing it off as nothing more than posturing. He implied that 'El Matador' is primarily targeting fellow UFC champions to increase his popularity rather than being a serious contender in the octagon.
Check out Belal Muhammad's comments below (16:28):
