"That confidence is cold" - Fans react to Ilia Topuria calling himself "the lightweight world champion" despite not having an opponent booked yet

Ilia Topuria competed in the octagon last October when he defeated Max Holloway via third-round knockout at UFC 308 to defend his featherweight title for the first time. While he was widely expected to face Alexander Volkanovski in a rematch of their UFC 298 clash, 'El Matador' shocked fans as he vacated the title to make the jump to the lightweight division.

He recently made the claim that he is the champion in the new weight class despite having yet to fight for the belt. Championship Rounds shared the comments from Topuria to X on Monday, posting:

"🗣️ Ilia Topuria: "I am the lightweight world champion. I'm clear about it, otherwise I won't change [weight]. I won't sign up for a competition without knowing if I'm going to win or not... No one is at my level." 👀 [via. @menshealthESP] #UFC #MMA"

Check out the post from Championship Rounds below:

Fans shared their reaction to his comments,w ith @The_Jab_Lab praising Topuria for his confidence:

"That confidence is cold! Saying he won’t even compete unless he knows he’s winning? That’s some next-level alpha energy. 😳"

@ITSDAFANTA hopes to see 'El Matador' get humbled:

"He talks way more than he fights lmao I can’t wait for somebody to humble this dude"

@iflowmannMMA claimed Islam Makhachev wants to see Topuria win against a lightweight contender:

"Bro just book a fight already. Islam won’t give af until you book a fight and win."

@PeterOben_Ux believes Topuria can beat Makhachev:

"Last time y’all doubted this guy he made you quiet. Some of y’all have still not learned. Illia finished all his fights before and early into the UFC by first round submission. I won’t be surprised if he beats the breaks off Islam. He is good everywhere, Beware!"

Check out the best fan reactions below:

Fan reactions

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Ilia Topuria calls out Charles Oliveira online

Ilia Topuria has made it clear that he hopes to fight for the lightweight title after vacating his featherweight belt. He recently called out Charles Oliveira, while claiming he is the division's champion, posting:

"Charles, it's better if you stay quiet. You have 10 losses: five by knockout, four by submission, and oyby decision. You are the contender, while I am the champion, the father of the entire division. I haven't come here to ask anything. Here, I am the one in charge."

Check out Ilia Topuria's message to Charles Oliveira below:

Topuria and Oliveira have both made their case to receive the next opportunity to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title. The UFC's plans for the division remain unclear as Arman Tsarukyan and Justin Gaethje also continue to be in the title picture.