Jun 28, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Ilia Topuria (red gloves) prior to the fight against Charles Oliveira (blue gloves) during UFC 317 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

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Ilia Topuria Envisions His Dream Scenario To Capture Third UFC Title

Ilia Topuria reveals his gameplan for becoming the first ever three-division champion in the UFC after UFc 317 win!

Champions in MMA have always been obsessed with making history. Some fighters are happy just winning one belt and defending it a few times before calling it a career. Others want to leave a mark that nobody can erase from the record books. The UFC has seen some incredible double champions over the years, with fighters like Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, and Amanda Nunes proving that crossing weight classes is possible with the right combination of skill, timing, and opportunity. But nobody has ever managed to capture three titles in three different weight divisions.

The idea of a triple champion has been floating around for years, but it always seemed more like a fantasy than a realistic goal. Weight cutting becomes harder as fighters get older, and the physical demands of competing at different sizes take a serious toll on the body. Plus, the UFC brass has been reluctant to let champions hold up multiple divisions for extended periods. They learned their lesson after some double champions caused scheduling nightmares by not defending their belts regularly enough. But that hasn’t stopped ambitious fighters from dreaming about being the first to achieve this seemingly impossible feat. And Ilia Topuria has that same dream.

Ilia Topuria’s Master Plan For Three Belts

Ilia Topuria has his sights set on making UFC history in the most spectacular way possible. He became the first person to win titles in two weight classes while maintaining a perfect record. But Topuria isn’t satisfied with just two belts. He wants to be the first fighter ever to capture three UFC titles in three different weight divisions.

The path to his dream scenario involves his former rival Islam Makhachev, who recently gave up his lightweight title to chase the welterweight championship. Topuria admits he was initially disappointed that Makhachev moved up to 170 pounds, because he really wanted to fight the Dagestani at lightweight. Now, If Makhachev successfully captures the welterweight title in his expected fight against Jack Della Maddalena later this year, it would set up the perfect scenario. Topuria could then move up to 170 pounds and challenge Makhachev for the welterweight belt, potentially becoming the first three division champion in UFC history.

“Ideally, I would love to see Islam getting the title and the UFC letting me go up to 170 and getting the third belt. I always said: If someone did it, I also can do it. If no one did it, I can be the first one to do it. So, here we are. I’m very excited.” Topuria said via TMZ.

Ilia Topuria’s ideal scenario is to meet Islam Makhachev in a historic fight at welterweight 🏆🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/vmPaNBv7MC
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) July 2, 2025

At just 29 years old, Topuria believes he has the physical tools and mental toughness to succeed at welterweight. His knockout power has translated well from featherweight to lightweight. So there’s reason to think it might work at 170 pounds too. Whether the UFC will actually allow this scenario to play out remains to be seen. However, Topuria clearly has his mind made up about what he wants to accomplish next.

(Image Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie – Imagn Images)

Ilia Topuria

Islam Makhachev

Zaid Quraishi

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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!