LAS VEGAS — Six months in the past, shortly earlier than he agreed to vacate the UFC’s featherweight championship, Ilia Topuria made a stunning declaration.
“I am 27 [years old], and I hope to be out by 30,” Topuria stated in Spanish on the El Partidazo de COPE podcast.
Topuria (16-0), now 28, is competing on the highest stage on the planet (at present ranked No. 2 on ESPN’s pound-for-pound list) and is fast-becoming one of many sport’s greatest stars. Retirement would appear to be the furthest factor from his thoughts.
And it’s.
Topuria, who will look to change into a two-weight champion on Saturday when he faces Charles Oliveira for the light-weight title at UFC 317 in Las Vegas (10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV; prelims starting at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+/Disney+), stated this week that these retirement feedback from December had been closely influenced by the drastic quantity of weight he needed to reduce to make the featherweight restrict of 145 kilos.
“I used to be struggling rather a lot with the burden reduce, and it was making me begin to hate the whole sport,” Topuria instructed ESPN. “So yeah, I’ve modified my thoughts on that. These [extra] 10 kilos gave me life.”
However when pressed to look into the way forward for his profession, Topuria and his crew are fast to say there nonetheless is perhaps solely a few years left. The distinction between now and 6 months in the past is that it has nothing to do with weight and every thing to do with alternative. Topuria, one among solely two fighters beneath 30 on ESPN’s pound-for-pound listing, has been so good and so bold at a younger age, there is not that a lot left for him to chase if he is profitable at UFC 317.
As a type of enjoyable, type of critical train, ESPN requested Topuria to map out his superb profession path via January 2027, the month through which he’ll flip 30. Listed here are among the fights and different issues he’s trying towards to.
If Topuria makes good on the prediction he made earlier this week to complete Oliveira within the first spherical on Saturday, do not be stunned if the title “Paddy Pimblett” comes up fairly shortly.
The 2 have historical past, courting again to 2021. Topuria, who lives in Spain however is of Georgian descent, took offense to comments Pimblett made about the Russo-Georgian War of 2008. Topuria and Pimblett occurred to look on the identical card in March 2022 and nearly came to blows at the UFC’s host hotel in London. The rivalry went dormant for a while after that, as the 2 weren’t in the identical weight class, however after Pimblett overwhelmed Michael Chandler at UFC 314 and now that Topuria has entered the light-weight fray, it’s an apparent struggle to make.
However Topuria does suppose Pimblett must win another time earlier than he will get a title struggle alternative.
“In an ideal world? Paddy would get a win after which we might struggle,” Topuria stated. “After all, I’d end him, however I’d get pleasure from that struggle, as a result of that is a type of the place you may have two guys that basically wish to struggle with one another. And I’d get pleasure from myself in that as a result of in actuality, I see him as a really, very dangerous fighter. I do know I can dominate him in all places.”
Pimblett, of Liverpool, England, is ranked No. 8 at light-weight and has change into one of many greatest, most-hyped names within the division. Topuria’s supervisor, Jose Diaz, sees the matchup as not solely Topuria’s first title protection however because the one that may catapult his fighter to UFC superstardom.
“Hopefully the UFC would see it in the identical means they noticed Conor McGregor versus José Aldo, and do the world tour press conferences,” Diaz stated. “And we might see a special facet of Ilia forward of that. He is all the time very skilled, however individuals would actually see the enjoyable facet of Ilia for that one. “
Regardless of Topuria’s perception that Pimblett is severely overrated, his brother and coach, Aleksandre Topuria, stated the crew would by no means take a ranked UFC fighter evenly and can be nicely ready for the bout — even when among the gamesmanship instructed in any other case.
“Each time we step contained in the Octagon, it would not matter who’s in entrance of us, we put together prefer it’s the final struggle of our lives,” Aleksandre stated. “Paddy may be very comfy at 155 kilos, and crucial factor is you’ll be able to’t fall into his psychological, emotional sport beforehand. Happily, Ilia is excellent at this. Even when you suppose Ilia is offended, simply know that he is aware of easy methods to play this sport, too.”
Now that Topuria is not reducing as a lot weight, he stated he would not count on to wish as a lot time between fights as he did at featherweight. That stated, he does consider a struggle like this might happen in just one location: Las Vegas. That will virtually definitely place Topuria vs. Pimblett for the light-weight title in December.
This will surely be one of many greatest fights in UFC historical past — and if every thing had been to fall appropriately, it could have a shot to be the most important of all time.
Like Topuria, Makhachev has agreed to vacate his title with a purpose to transfer up in weight. The soon-to-be-former light-weight champion is predicted to problem Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight belt later this 12 months. If Makhachev wins, Topuria already has said he would wish to chase Makhachev as much as 170 kilos and try and change into the primary to seize belts in three UFC weight lessons.
“The dream is that Islam turns into welterweight world champion and the UFC calls me to say they need me to maneuver up,” Topuria stated.
Along with Topuria trying to make historical past, this matchup would possible pit the Nos. 1 and a pair of pound-for-pound fighters on the planet towards each other. Each have large followings — notably in Europe and West Asia. Makhachev has greater than shaped his personal id, however his shut proximity to lifelong teammate and former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov all the time provides intrigue to his struggle weeks.
Neither Topuria nor Makhachev is thought for “trash discuss,” however they have already got traded public pictures at each other as a possible assembly has change into extra possible.
“For positive, we aren’t going to be variety with one another,” Topuria stated. “That is for positive. I feel for that struggle, they may create one other belt and we may struggle for the pound-for-pound belt. The PFP.”
Stylistically, it could be an extremely tough struggle for Topuria at 170 kilos — and he undoubtedly can be the most important underdog of his complete profession. However his ending capability and confidence, particularly if he had been coming off two light-weight wins towards Oliveira and Pimblett, would give him a robust probability within the eyes of the general public.
“Would I wish to see Ilia compete at welterweight? Clearly, the reply to that’s ‘no,'” Aleksandre stated. “However would we take the possibility to struggle at welterweight for the belt? For positive. Who would not take this opportunity?
“For Ilia to win that struggle, he simply must be himself. There isn’t any secret key to profitable that struggle. Stylistically, we all know how good we’re, how robust mentally we’re. He would simply must maintain doing what he is been doing.”
Topuria vs. Makhachev can be large wherever on the planet, however it could be excellent for the UFC’s first look in Spain. Topuria has expressed curiosity in filling Actual Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium — which holds greater than 80,000 — for a struggle, and understandably stated this is able to be the one he’d need.
“Spain, I image that in Spain,” stated Topuria, who has lived within the Mediterranean port metropolis of Alicante since he was a teen. “One struggle. I actually wish to do a minimum of one struggle in Spain, and yeah, that may be unbelievable.”
The catch is that he doesn’t want to do it if it means combating in the midst of the evening native time, which the UFC has traditionally achieved with worldwide playing cards to protect the U.S. pay-per-view begin time.
The UFC is at present negotiating its subsequent media rights deal within the U.S., and Mark Shapiro, chief working officer of TKO Group Holdings, stated earlier this 12 months that the UFC’s mum or dad firm is open to a non-PPV mannequin.
“Life has modified on the pay-per-view entrance,” Shapiro stated at a media convention in March. “Look, it really works for us, however we’re tremendous versatile. Linear, broadcast, streaming, pay-per-view, not pay-per-view.”
“If the UFC does this new cope with any individual who places extra precedence in doing PPVs within the primetime window of the host nation itself, then why could not it’s in Spain?” Diaz stated. “Ilia has by no means fought at house within the UFC. … It will be wonderful.”
There isn’t any scarcity of dates an occasion like this might fall on, however a summer season blockbuster appears almost certainly. That will deliver our timeline to mid-2026.
Peace?
Topuria’s imaginative and prescient for his profession thus far may be very clear: Pimblett grudge match and historical past with Makhachev. After that, not solely is the imaginative and prescient unclear, it is just about empty.
As onerous because it sometimes is for fighters to stroll away from MMA, nobody on Topuria’s crew stated they envision him persevering with to struggle simply to struggle. If he had been to make historical past and win an unprecedented third belt, any future alternative or matchup would actually must excite him for him to take it. One thing that does not exist right this moment must materialize inside the subsequent 18 months.
“I do not know what else he may do at that time,” Diaz stated. “I suppose search for the subsequent massive struggle — or if he is proud of it, name it a day. Competitors is what would maintain him round. An actual competitors.”
For somebody equivalent to McGregor, who loved a meteoric rise via titles and fame, the need to search for one thing larger led him to the boxing ring and Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017. Topuria has stated he is open to the concept of crossing over after his MMA profession is finished, however there is a catch. He must just like the matchup, as a result of he would not field simply to do it.
“That is an possibility for me, sure,” Topuria stated. “I’ve that door if I would like it. Proper now, although, I do not see anybody that I’d wish to field with.”
Till any of it occurs, that is all hypothesis and goals. Topuria (a -500 favourite by ESPN BET) may come up quick towards Oliveira (+350) on Saturday, and this complete script would wish a rewrite. However when Aleksandre maps out what a great situation would appear like for his brother, there’s actually just one logical step after Makhachev.
Peace.
As a result of as soon as you’ve got achieved all of it, there is no sense in persevering with to search for extra.
“There’s all the time one thing you could find, but when he had been to do all of this, I’d inform him he can retire in peace,” Aleksandre stated. “Even now, he may retire in peace. But when he did all of this? What’s left? Battle Jon Jones at heavyweight? He may have achieved one thing that has by no means occurred earlier than. It is the proper situation.”
It is wild to consider. Topuria would possibly not be hoping to retire by 30, however there’s a world through which he nonetheless does.