Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Ilia Topuria Makes Bold Future Claims Including Charles Oliveira, Islam Makhachev And Paddy Pimblett

Ilia Topuria hopes to face Islam Makhachev for a chance at 3 belt glory, disses him after pointed comments from his team!

Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Ilia Topuria has been making waves lately with his bold moves and even bolder statements. The Georgian-Spanish fighter shocked everyone when he vacated his featherweight belt to chase bigger dreams at lightweight. This wasn’t just about moving up weight classes. It was about legacy.

Topuria dominated the featherweight division like a man possessed. He knocked out Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, two legends who seemed untouchable. But ‘El Matador’ wanted more than just one belt around his waist. He wanted to join the exclusive club of two-division champions. Islam Makhachev had similar plans and vacated his lightweight throne to hunt welterweight gold. This left both fighters playing musical chairs with title shots, and fans scratching their heads about who fights whom.

Ilia Topuria Hopes To Chase 3 Division Glory

Topuria isn’t backing down from his ambitious plans, even with all the moving pieces. He faces Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 for the vacant lightweight title and believes that he will KO him in the first round. Meanwhile Makhachev chases Jack Della Maddalena for welterweight gold. But here’s where things get interesting. Topuria believes both champions can still get their dream fight.

“If Islam becomes the welterweight world champion, for sure I’m going to push for that shot also…If he wins the title, and I win the title in the lightweight division, maybe I move up or he comes down to the lightweight division and we have the fight that everyone wants to see.”

"If Islam becomes the welterweight champion, for sure I'm going to push for that shot also."#UFC317 headliner Ilia Topuria sees a path to a 3rd UFC belt vs. Islam Makhachev after he gets his 2nd against Charles Oliveira. pic.twitter.com/zTTnw6TEzj
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) June 20, 2025

This flexibility shows Topuria’s confidence in his abilities across weight classes. He’s not just chasing belts, he’s chasing the fights that matter most to fans. The chess match between these two former champions has created one of the most intriguing storylines in recent UFC history. Both men vacated their titles to pursue other goals, but now they are openly discussing future matchups.

Ilia Topuria Responds To Team Islam Makhachev’s Pointed Insults

Things took a nasty turn recently when the verbal sparring between camps escalated beyond typical fight promotion. Islam’s team fired shots at Topuria, with Makhachev himself calling the Spanish fighter “nobody in LW division.” The Dagestani camp questioned whether Topuria has the mainstream appeal to sell pay-per-views like Conor McGregor. They suggested he lacks the star quality needed for superfights. But Topuria didn’t take these comments lying down. He fired back with his own brutal honesty in an interview with Kevin Iole.

“Me against Paddy [Pimblett] is going to be even bigger than Islam. No one gives a f**k about Islam. Even in Dagestan, when he’s fighting, people go to sleep and watch him in the morning.”

Ilia Topuria goes off on Islam Makhachev 👀🔥

"I think me against Paddy is even bigger than me against Islam. Because the one whom nobody gives a f**k about is Islam. Even when in Dagestan he's fighting, the people go to sleep and watch his fights in the morning. He doesn't even… pic.twitter.com/RoXqakpofh
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) June 21, 2025

Topuria ‘Sure’ of knocking out/submitting Du Bronx in Round 1!

Meanwhile, Charles Oliveira finds himself caught in the middle of this drama. ‘Do Bronx’ gets his shot at reclaiming lightweight gold for the first time since losing to Makhachev back in 2022. The Brazilian submission artist has worked his way back through impressive victories, including a dominant performance against Michael Chandler in their rematch. The drama between weight classes has created a web of potential matchups that should keep fans entertained for years to come.

Ilia Topuria calls his shot vs. Charles Oliveira before #UFC317 🔮

"I know for sure I'm going to knock him out in the first round or submit him in the first round." pic.twitter.com/RuzqM2LRkK
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) June 20, 2025

Ilia Topuria has had a heated past with Paddy Pimblett as well after a scuffle at the UFC hotel. He believes that fighting against the rising contender will be a much more talked about event than his potential fight with Islam Makhachev. The back-and-forth has added serious heat to their potential future meeting. When fighters start questioning each other’s star power and drawing ability, things get personal fast. Fans love this kind of authentic animosity because it makes future fights feel more meaningful.

(Image Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – Imagn Images)

Charles Oliveira

Ilia Topuria

Islam Makhachev

Paddy Pimblett

UFC 317

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!