New UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria made headlines before UFC 298 saying he’d never grant division stalwarts Max Holloway, Yair Rodriguez or Brian Ortega title shots as champion.
With the belt wrapped around his waist following a brutal knockout of Alexander Volkanovski, Topuria hasn’t necessarily changed his tune.
“Max Holloway, all of them, they don’t make any sense for me right now,” Topuria said at the post-fight press conference for UFC 298. “As I said, I need new challengers, new ones. There are some upcoming fights. We’ll see how they’re going to play out. You’re going to see ‘El Matador’ for a while.”
Topuria called his shot before UFC 298, adding a win to his record even before stepping in the octagon with decorated champ Volkanovski, who was four months removed from a knockout loss to Islam Makhachev at lightweight. The result was equally emphatic, with Topuria catching Volkanovski moving backward in the second round to deliver the clean stoppage.
As always, the question for a new champion in a talent-stacked division is what’s next. Volkanovski called for an immediate rematch, noting his record at 145 pounds and stance as a “company man” for the UFC.
But for the Topuria, the idea of moving on was compelling. And, of course, like many recently victorious champs, a callout of Conor McGregor was part of his post-win speech. The idea of hovering on Volkanovski wasn’t ideal.
“So, he’s such a good person,” Topuria said of the deposed champ. “And to be honest, at this point, I’m like, ‘OK, I’m going to give him the rematch, because he’s a good person.’ But at the same time, it’s time to move on. It’s time to clean up the division a little bit.
“It’s time for the new generation to have new challengers, new faces, and I think I will be looking for that. But to honest, my job is to fight. Whoever they tell me I’m going to have to face and fight next, I will be there. So that’s it.”
UFC CEO Dana White joked “that’s awesome, great to hear” when informed of Topuria’s dismissal of veteran featherweights.
“You know how this works,” he said. “You fight all the best in the world. He just won the title. He looks like a guy who could be one of the all-time greats. You’ve got to clean out that division. Once you do, you start figuring out what’s next. ... I don’t know if we ever see Conor McGregor at 145 pounds again. I don’t think it ever happens. But everyone wants to fight Conor.”
There is one way the UFC could compel Topuria more easily on a rematch with Volkanovski, and that’s a headlining event in his adopted home country of Spain. The new champ has ignited the MMA scene in the European country and has made a homecoming fight a priority for his career.
“If the UFC offers me to bring the UFC to Spain and do the rematch with Volkanovski, I’m in,” he said. “Let’s go. No f****** problem.”
Topuria’s emphatic knockout win made a trip to Spain all the more attractive for the UFC. It may also have gotten him out of an immediate rematch. The new champ wasn’t the only one hedging on that.
“We’re definitely going to Spain,” White said. “Who [Topuria is] going to be facing, I don’t know yet. I have a lot of respect for Volkanovski – we’ll see how that plays out. But as long as they have a venue, we’re going to Spain.”
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