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With the announcement that his featherweight title will be vacated and fought for at UFC 314, the next move for Ilia Topuria is now official. 'El Matador' will be moving to 155 pounds.
With Ilia Topuria's move up to 155 pounds now all but official, who might welcome 'El Matador' to the lightweight division?
Unsurprisingly, given that the division is one of the UFC's most loaded, there are plenty of great options for the Spanish-Georgian fighter.
Here, then, are five fighters who could welcome Ilia Topuria to the UFC's lightweight division.
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#5. Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev
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The biggest fight available for Ilia Topuria at 155 pounds would undoubtedly be a title fight against reigning lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev.
While 'El Matador' has given up his featherweight title already, this fight would still widely be viewed as a champion vs. champion one, and would be one of the most intriguing that the UFC could produce in 2025.
However, there are a couple of reasons why the promotion might not decide to book this one right away.
Firstly, they may feel that Topuria needs at least one win at lightweight before a title shot, particularly as his move looks set to be a permanent one.
Secondly, Makhachev himself has already discussed his displeasure with the idea of fighting 'El Matador' right away, stating that he was "tired of giving chances to smaller guys."
Instead, recent reports suggest that Justin Gaethje could be granted the next title shot, despite the fact that he's won just one fight since 2023.
Despite this, there's still a chance that Dana White and company stump for this fight anyway, feeling like they must strike while the iron is hot. With Makhachev's next fight yet to be announced, it wouldn't be a shocker to see him matched with Ilia Topuria later in 2025.
#4. Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett or Michael Chandler
UFC 314, which is set to go down next month, features a great-sounding lightweight co-headliner between former title challenger Michael Chandler and up-and-comer Paddy Pimblett.
The bout feels like a huge step up for Pimblett, whose best win to date has come over Bobby 'King' Green, a fighter far lower on the totem pole than Chandler. For 'Iron Mike', meanwhile, there's little to gain in beating a prospect.
Regardless of that, though, the winner of this fight would be a great choice to welcome Ilia Topuria into the lightweight division.
Chandler is, of course, a battle-hardened veteran who has fought the best of the best, including Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, and Charles Oliveira. Despite his advanced age now, he'd be a huge test for 'El Matador' to step up against.
Pimblett, meanwhile, has had a long-running war of words with Topuria dating back a number of years. 'The Baddy' was linked to a fight with 'El Matador' before the Spanish-Georgian fighter dropped to 145 pounds, and the two have often hit out at one another on social media.
As recently as this week, for instance, Pimblett has accused Topuria of being a wannabe Conor McGregor, something that 'El Matador' will no doubt respond to.
Therefore, if 'The Baddy' can overcome Chandler, booking him into a huge grudge match with Topuria could be big for both men, and would be a fun way of welcoming 'El Matador' to the lightweight division.
#3. Ilia Topuria vs. Dan Hooker
This past weekend, Dan Hooker was supposed to face off with Justin Gaethje in what sounded like a potential classic lightweight war.
However, 'The Hangman' was forced out of the clash with a hand injury, and has since undergone surgery.
Initially, most fans called for the Gaethje vs. Hooker fight to be re-booked upon the New Zealand-based fighter's return. However, with Gaethje now mooted to fight Islam Makhachev next, that could be impossible.
So why not use 'The Hangman' to welcome Ilia Topuria to the lightweight division instead?
In many ways, Hooker would be the perfect foe for him. 'The Hangman' is battle-tested, having faced some of the top lightweights in the world, including Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier, and Mateusz Gamrot.
He's also known for his durability and his willingness to go toe-to-toe with anyone, making a potential fight between him and Topuria a potential war.
The only issue here could be Hooker's injury, as a fight with 'El Matador' would obviously depend on how long he's gone for. If it's only a short time on the shelf, he could be the perfect choice.
#2. Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira
If the UFC wants to introduce Ilia Topuria to the lightweight division with arguably the most dangerous fight possible, then they'd match him with Charles Oliveira.
Not only is 'Do Bronx' a former lightweight titleholder, but he's literally the most lethal finisher in UFC history, with a promotional record 20 stoppages to his name.
Oliveira has not fought since beating Michael Chandler in a five-round thriller last November. While that fight was mooted as a potential title eliminator, it just doesn't seem like a rematch with Islam Makhachev is forthcoming.
Therefore, pitting 'Do Bronx' against Topuria in a clash to decide the next title shot could make a lot of sense. If 'El Matador' could overcome the Brazilian, there'd be absolutely no way of denying him a shot at Makhachev.
Could he do it? It'd be very difficult given Oliveira's overall skills and finishing ability. However, Topuria hits very hard, and there have often been questions around Oliveira's durability.
Either way, though, this would be an incredible fight to book, should the UFC choose to go down that route.
#1. Ilia Topuria vs. Arman Tsarukyan
While the UFC may well go with Justin Gaethje as the next challenger to Islam Makhachev's lightweight title, the truth is that the division's top contender is still Arman Tsarukyan.
The Armenian was all set to face Makhachev for the title earlier this year. However, a back injury sidelined him from the bout, and Dana White was quick to state that another title shot would need to be earned.
Therefore, one path that the UFC could take would be to match Tsarukyan with Ilia Topuria in a top contender's fight.
Tsarukyan would be a very difficult fight for 'El Matador'. A fantastic, powerful grappler with heavy hands, the Armenian has lost just once since 2019 and holds wins over fighters like Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush.
However, if Topuria wants to arrive in the 155-pound division with a bang and face off with Makhachev in the near future, this would be a fight that would almost guarantee him a shot if he could win.
Whether Dana White and company would want to risk Topuria in such a tricky fight would be a question mark, but if they're confident in him, this clash would be awesome to see.
