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Ilia Topuria should be officially named the next title challenger in the UFC featherweight division if Alexander Volkanovski defeats Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290 this coming Saturday. The 145-pound weight class has suffered from a drought of compelling contenders as of late, especially with Max Holloway still in form.
This even prompted Volkanovski to move up in weight to challenge Islam Makhachev for his divisional crown at 155 pounds. While Rodriguez will be an exciting matchup for 'The Great,' and it might be premature to think of the Australian's next bout, many expect Volkanovski to win.
If he does emerge from UFC 290 with his grip on the featherweight strap still ironclad, there's no one else he should face besides Ilia Topuria. While the Georgian-Spaniard is currently ranked fifth in the division, he should be ranked higher and is more deserving of a title shot than anyone. Here's why.
The case against the rest of the featherweight top five
The top five of the 145-pound weight class consist of, in order, Yair Rodriguez, Max Holloway, Brian Ortega, Arnold Allen and Ilia Topuria. As far as Yair Rodriguez is concerned, he's a non-factor, given his status as the interim champion, who is currently scheduled to face Alexander Volkanovski this Saturday.
Meanwhile, Max Holloway is on a one-fight win streak, having beaten Arnold Allen. His previous loss to Alexander Volkanovski was as one-sided as it gets, short of a finish. Furthermore, he is currently set to face Chan Sung Jung in late August. While he's a heavy favorite, a win is unlikely to catapult him into a title fight.
Holloway is fresh off his loss to Volkanovski, against whom he has tasted defeat three times. He'll have to embark on a lengthy win streak to earn yet another rematch against 'The Great.'
Meanwhile, Brian Ortega is in an even worse position. He's currently 1-3 in his last four fights. Like Holloway, he is only one fight removed from his lopsided loss to Volkanovski.
Additionally, Ortega is also on a two-fight losing streak, having suffered defeats to both the reigning champion and interim titleholder. His last win came against 'The Korean Zombie,' who is ranked eighth in the division. Before that, his last win was against Frankie Edgar, who is currently retired.
Finally, Arnold Allen's last fight was a loss to Max Holloway. He, like Brian Ortega, is in no position to demand a title shot coming off of a loss. Even his previous win over Calvin Kattar was due more to a freak injury precipitating the low kick TKO.
That leaves Ilia Topuria, who is in a better position than every other top-five featherweight sans Yair Rodriguez.
The case for Ilia Topuria
Ilia Topuria is currently undefeated. That in itself creates a level of intrigue that hasn't been matched or exceeded by anyone Alexander Volkanovski has faced, short of reigning lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev.
Along his unbeaten path, 'El Matador' has been more than impressive. He handed the then-undefeated Bryce Mitchell his first-ever loss when he battered and submitted him in the second round. The Georgian-Spaniard followed up that win with a boxing masterclass against former interim title challenger Josh Emmett, from whom he took his number-five ranking in the division.
While Topuria is generally known for his finishing ability, both standing and on the mat, he showed the depths of his cardio in his win over Josh Emmett. He fought all five rounds and did so intelligently, which bodes well for his chances against a tireless foe like Alexander Volkanovski.
No one else in the top five, besides Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez, has a quality win that's comparable to Ilia Topuria's victory over Josh Emmett. 'Blessed' recently lost to Volkanovski, so he is in no position to demand a title shot, despite recently beating Arnold Allen.
Meanwhile, Yair Rodriguez, who defeated Josh Emmett to capture interim gold, is already scheduled to face 'The Great.' If the Australian phenom emerges victorious this coming Saturday, he and Ilia Topuria should have a face-off in the cage and be scheduled to fight one another soon.
If Rodriguez stuns the MMA world and hands Volkanovski his first-ever featherweight loss, Topuria can serve as the backup fighter for the rematch in the event that either man withdraws from the bout. Regardless of who emerges as the winner of this hypothetical rematch, Topuria should be their focus.
The UFC has a potential star on its hands. He represents two countries, Spain and Georgia. While the latter has several noteworthy UFC fighters, the former is bereft of any high-level mixed martial artists who are not only at the top of their respective divisions but seem like potential future champions.
Interest in Topuria is at an all-time high, and Dana White and co. would be wise to capitalize on it by striking while the iron is still hot. Spain is an untapped market when it comes to MMA, and Topuria could be the key to unlocking it.
