Ilia Topuria’s contender boldly announces his ambition, setting his sights on a championship showdown in the near future!
The UFC featherweight division has rarely seen a champion quite like Ilia Topuria. The Spanish-Georgian fighter stormed through 2024, leaving behind a trail of unconscious bodies and broken dreams. First, he shocked the world by knocking out the unbeatable Alexander Volkanovski and snatching the belt in dramatic fashion. Then, just to prove it wasn’t a fluke, he went ahead and demolished the legendary Max Holloway in October.
Most champions would be content to sit back and enjoy their success after such a year, but Topuria has been eyeing bigger challenges, specifically, a move up to the lightweight division. But someone is already plotting to make sure Topuria’s reign isn’t as comfortable as he would like it to be.
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Movsar Evloev has quickly become the featherweight division’s most persistent stalker. Fresh off a win against Aljamain Sterling, he isn’t just calling for a title shot. He wants something much more.
In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Evloev announced he would follow Ilia Topuria through multiple weight classes if necessary. It’s the kind of determination that ultimately lands the fighter with a belt around their waist (like Merab Dvalishvili).
“Ilia Topuria has started talking that he’s moving up. I don’t know what’s going on. If the champion moves up, he will leave the title, I will get the title, and then I will follow him…I will go after him, even if he goes to middleweight. He is not a big guy. I don’t need to cut weight to beat this guy. I need his head on my list.”
For those who don’t follow UFC weight classes closely, there is a 40-pound weight difference between where he fights now and where he would chase the champion! But Movsar Evloev doesn’t seem to think this is crazy at all. This is either the most confident or most delusional statement of 2025 so far.
What makes this whole situation even more intriguing is that Evloev isn’t some random fighter shooting his shot. He’s undefeated in his professional career, with a wrestling-heavy style that could potentially give ‘El Matador’ problems.
But Evloev’s style is often criticized as boring by many analysts and fans alike. In his 18-fight career as an MMA pro, he has won 12 decisions. He is yet to pull off a finish in his 9-fight win streak in the UFC, earning him the tag of “decision fighter.”
Will Evloev really chase Ilia Topuria up two weight classes if necessary? Would the UFC even allow such a thing? And most importantly, does the featherweight champion care enough about this challenge to put his lightweight aspirations on hold? Only time will tell!
(Image Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – Imagn Images)
