Ilia Topuria has designs on eventually becoming a three-division UFC champion but he might have to wait to chase that goal for a little while longer.
Following a stunning first-round knockout over Charles Oliveira to claim the vacant lightweight title, Topuria revealed that the UFC actually asked him not to immediately declare his intentions to move up to 170 pounds. While he hinted at that possibility several times prior to UFC 317 with hopes of eventually facing former lightweight king Islam Makhachev, Topuria says promotion officials already tried to talk him out of it.
“I thought about [moving up],” Topuria said on About Last Fight. “But the last conversation I had with the UFC they personally asked me the favor like ‘don’t tell us after the fight that you want to move to the welterweight division. Make us a promise.’ I was like ‘promise.’ I was [crossing my fingers]. I promise.”
While he may still eventually chase that third title, Topuria confessed he’s going to stay focused on the lightweight division where he’s now champion but admitted a move to welterweight “could happen” one day.
He has a long list of potential opponents awaiting him but possibly none bigger than a showdown with Paddy Pimblett, who actually came into the cage for a faceoff after Topuria’s win over Oliveira.
Topuria confessed that is definitely the fight he wants most, especially after he struggled with his emotions towards Oliveira because he had so much love and respect for the former lightweight champion.
“That’s the guy that I will really enjoy to punch him in the face,” Topuria said. “Really, really will enjoy that fight. I know I can do with him whatever I to do. Tell me, kid, what you want me to do with you. I’m going to do whatever I want to do. I don’t want to use my words.”
He also scoffed at a potential matchup against Justin Gaethje when his name got brought up as a possible opponent for his first title defense.
“The only thing I realize is that you don’t like the guy,” Topuria responded to the proposed Gaethje fight. “Because I don’t know why you want to put him against me.”
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