The rise of Ilia Topuria, while the largest star in combat sports lasted last Saturday when he won the empty lightweight title on UFC 317.
Last Saturday in the Main Event of UFC 317, Ilia Topuria again separated a favorite from the UFC fan of consciousness when he hit Charles Oliveira in the first round.
Immediately after the fight, Topuria was confronted with his potential next opponent when Paddy Pimblett got into the Octagon for a spontaneous face.
UFC boss Dana White, however, expressed his aversion to the fact that Pimblett was allowed into the cage and stated that it should not have happened.
Photo by Ian Maule/Getty images
Ilia Topuria does not believe that the fight against Islam Makhachev will happen
There are apparently a few options for 'El Matador' and then fight, from Pimblett to Arman Tsarukyan, with Justin Gaethje still part of the title interview.
During the UFC 317 Post-Fight Press Conference, however, White suggested that Gaethje should retire after he had given a title fight Ultimatum, which may have been removed from the conversation.
Prior to his lightweight title fight, it seemed that the first choice of Topuria would be a fight against Islam Makhachev, because the two of them have continued to argue for two months.
Although, after his victory over Oliveira, Topuria claimed that the UFC does not want to fight that fight, although during the press conference he stated after the fight that he still has room for a third belt, which teased a potential future relocation to wealth weight.
“From a realistic point of view of all the conversations I had with the UFC and how the situation was the whole process, I don't think that fight will happen, I will be surprised if I get a phone call and tell me that I am going to fight against Islam, what I would like to do,” Topuria told Espnmma.
“I'm not going to lose my life in that octagon, so I am ready for anyone … Hopefully (we are fighting against each other), why not? If the UFC wants to make that fight happen, they will let it happen, but I don't know if they want it to happen,” he went on.
The UFC is still working on a welterweight title fight between Makhachev and Jack della Maddalena, and for that the Russian stated that if he wins the 170 pound title, he would like to go back to 155 pounds to reclaim that belt.
Topuria believes that Pimblett is afraid of fighting him after the face
At this point a fight between Topuria and Pimblett seems to be the most likely result, given their face after the main event.
However, the Spaniard believes that 'The Baddy' does not really want to fight him while he saw fear in his eyes during their short meeting.
“The eyes never lie, he doesn't want to fight me. I swear against God He doesn't want to fight me, I saw the fear in his eyes, the eyes never lie.
“When they brought him to the Achthoek, he was scared. He was something like” what the f … I do here, I should have went to school or university, why didn't I choose anything else. “” Topuria said.