Ilia Topuria has revealed that he has received assurances from the UFC that his next fight will be for the UFC lightweight championship.
UFC CEO Dana White announced last month that Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) is set to vacate the featherweight title he won in 2024 and move up to 155 pounds in a bid to become the organization's next two-weight world champion.
The moment the main event at the upcoming UFC 314 pay-per-view event in Miami between Alexander Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) and Diego Lopes (26-6 MMA, 5-1 UFC) begins, Topuria will officially no longer be the promotion's featherweight champion.
Topuria has stated that his goal is to face Islam Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) for the lightweight title immediately, although no opponent or date has been confirmed for the Spanish-Georgian’s next fight.
He has also been engaging in a war of words with former champion Charles Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC) over the past week, and it had been speculated that the two might fight in a No. 1 contender matchup. However, no official announcement has been made.
While addressing the media at Wow FC 17 in Madrid, Spain, on Saturday, "La Leyenda" revealed that the UFC has given him assurances that whoever he faces next, it will be for the UFC lightweight title.
"I'm not entirely sure what my next fight will be.", Topuria told reporters backstage. "The only thing I'm sure of is that the UFC's word is that my next fight will be for the world title. That's all I know. Afterwards, if it's going to be Islam, if it's going to be Charles, I have no idea.
"The belt will be on the line. It will be on the line. That was the promise for leaving my title vacant. They've always kept their promises".
Ilia Topuria Holds No Grudges Agianst Charles Oliveira
Topuria and Oliveira have taken shots at each other via a series of interviews recently. Oliveira questioned Topuria's claims toward a title shot, and labelled him 'disrespectful' for some comments he made him while being interviewed at an event in the city of Toledo last week.
Topuria pointed out that he had merely been stating facts when speaking about "Do Bronx", and that he doesn't have a problem with Oliveira on a personal level.
"I haven't dissed (Charles), I've told the truth", said Topuria. "He has ten losses. I haven't said anything else. He has ten losses - five by knockout, four by submission, one by decision. He says lightweight is the toughest division there is. When he was fighting at 145, Cub Swanson beat him up. That's where the conversation ends.
"Something he couldn't achieve at 145 pounds, he did at 155, where he became champion. So why is that division tougher than the one I came from? I don't find any logic in it.
"And that's also why I said it seems like he hasn't read a single page of a newspaper. So if that's disrespectful, I don't know since when telling the truth is disrespectful. I never mix personal and professional life, I don't have any problem with Charles. Surely once our careers are over, we can get together, have a good time, have dinner, lunch. But this is a sport inside an Octagon".
