Ilia Topuria confirms UFC 317 fight, names Islam Makhachev and former lightweight champion as potential opponents

Ilia Topuria has spoken out about his future, naming Islam Makhachev and a former lightweight champion as possible opponents. Topuria, who confirmed his participation at UFC 317, will be aiming to fight for the 155 pound belt to become a two-division chamipon.

Topuria vacated his featherweight title earlier this year in hopes of competing for the lightweight title, which he claims the promotion promised. The Spaniard has called out Makhachev on multiple occasions and was optimistic about his chances against the Dagestani fighter. He also voiced his desire to take on former champion Charles Oliveira, who got back in title contention with a dominant win over Michael Chandler at UFC 309 last year.

However, Makhachev has repeatedly dismissed Topuria's callouts, claiming that the latter was unworthy of a title opportunity. According to the reigning champion, the 28-year-old must defeat a top contender to earn a title shot.

In a recent interview with El Hormiguero, Topuria confirmed his octagon return at UFC 317 during the International Fight Week in June. He cited Makhachev and Oliveira as his next potential opponents, however there has been no official announcement from the promotion yet.

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''It’s Islam or Charles''

Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below (via Happy Punch's X post):

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As for Makhachev, he is waiting for the result of this weekend's UFC 315 welterweight title fight between Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena. Given their tight bond, if Muhammad retains his crown, the 33-year-old may not change divisions unless the Chicago native relinquishes his belt and moves up to middleweight.

Meanwhile, Topuria was confident about fulfilling his aim of being a double champion. In his recent octagon appearance at UFC 308, last year, 'La Leyenda' stunned everyone and became the first fighter to secure a knockout win over Max Holloway.

Belal Muhammad discusses the potential Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria clash

Many in the MMA community have shared their opinions on Islam Makhachev's potential matchup with Ilia Topuria, including Belal Muhammad, who has backed the Dagestani fighter on several occasions.

In a recent interview with Demetrious Johnson, Muhammad opened up about Topuria's anger towards him for supporting Makhachev, saying:

''I get [fighters mad at me for picking against them] all the time. Even with Ilia Topuria, somebody just asked me...'What do you think about Ilia and Islam?' And I said, man, I think Islam's too big for him, he's too strong for him, and it'll be a bad night for him...Ilia started like, 'Oh, who's this guy? Belal sucks.' He's this, this, or that. I was like, bro, all I said was giving my opinion on the matchup. It's not like I was talking trash about you.''

Check out Belal Muhammad's comments below (1:01:11

About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena