Ilia Topuria is not a shortage of options after his Ko victory against Charles Oliveira on UFC 317.
The undefeated Topuria has a new target on his back after his second title win on Saturday. After Ko'ing Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway at featherweight, UFC saw 317 Topuria in a matter of minutes another legend in Oliveira stopping bumps.
After the fact, Topuria had three potential opponents to choose from Cageside: Arman Tsarukyan, Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett, who were confronted with Topuria in the Octagon, to Dana White's great aversion.
Although one of these three fights sounds interesting for Topuria, UFC commentator Joe Rogan suggests that the UFC goes back to 'Square One' in their matchmaking.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Joe Rogan says that Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev is the fight to make
When it was still a possibility, Ilia Topuria was vs. Islam Makhachev is one of the biggest fights that the UFC could have done in 2025.
Earlier this year, Topuria gave distance from the featherweight title and had his sights on Makhachev, before the lightweight champion finally decided to move to Welterweight.
Makhachev will want to become a two -division champion in a fight with the newly crowned Jack della Maddalena.
Rogan finds the UFC to weigh who should fight Topuria, and the UFC has to reverse and bring Makhachev back to the lightweight division.
“I think Islam is the fight,” said Rogan on the UFC 317 broadcast.
“Yes, that's it,” Daniel Cormier replied.
“When I am the matchmaker, I call Islam,” Rogan continued.
'I'm so, look, Jack della [Maddalena]That's very nice …
“That's nice and so, but come on.
“Maybe if they call him and they say, is there a number? Is there a song that we can do?” Rogan added.
Ilia Topuria is changing to Paddy Pimblett -Fight after UFC 317
Prior to his second title win against Oliveira, Topuria initially excluded two fights with top candidates after UFC 317.
Topuria said #1 Competent Arman Tsarukyan and his #8-ranged rival Paddy Pimblett both needed both victories if they wanted a title fight with him.
However, after he had rinsed Tsarukyan in his interview after the fight, Topuria entertained a face-off with Pimblett, with a lot of fan interest in the potential matchup.
'That's the fight I want [the most]”Topuria said about Pimblett at the UFC 317 Post-Fight Press Conference.
“I'm really going to enjoy his ass,” Topuria added.
“I was very excited tonight.
“Someone from my team told me that Dana was a bit angry about that [face-off].
“But he wasn't there [so] Maybe that should happen, “Topuria said about watching Pimblett.
Pimblett comes from a dominant TKO victory at former Bellator champion Michael Chandler in the Co-Main event of UFC 314 in April.