LAS VEGAS — Six months in the past, shortly earlier than he agreed to vacate the UFC’s featherweight championship, Ilia Topuria made a stunning declaration.
“I am 27 [years old], and I hope to be out by 30,” Topuria mentioned in Spanish on the El Partidazo de COPE podcast.
Topuria (16-0), now 28, is competing on the highest stage on the planet (at the moment ranked No. 2 on ESPN’s pound-for-pound record) and is fast-becoming one of many sport’s greatest stars. Retirement would appear to be the furthest factor from his thoughts.
And it’s.
Topuria, who will look to turn into a two-weight champion on Saturday when he faces Charles Oliveira for the light-weight title at UFC 317 in Las Vegas (10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV; prelims starting at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+/Disney+), mentioned this week that these retirement feedback from December had been closely influenced by the drastic quantity of weight he needed to lower to make the featherweight restrict of 145 kilos.
“I used to be struggling lots with the load lower and it was making me begin to hate your complete sport,” Topuria advised ESPN. “So yeah, I’ve modified my thoughts on that. These [extra] 10 kilos gave me life.”
However when pressed to look into the way forward for his profession, Topuria and his group are fast to say there nonetheless could be solely a few years left. The distinction between now and 6 months in the past is that it has nothing to do with weight and all the pieces to do with alternative. Topuria, certainly one of solely two fighters underneath 30 on ESPN’s pound-for-pound record, has been so good and so bold at a younger age, there is not that a lot left for him to chase if he is profitable at UFC 317.
As a type of enjoyable, type of critical train, ESPN requested Topuria to map out his perfect profession path via January 2027, the month during which he’ll flip 30. Listed below are a number of the fights and different issues he’s wanting towards.
If Topuria makes good on the prediction he made earlier this week to complete Oliveira within the first spherical on Saturday, do not be stunned if the title “Paddy Pimblett” comes up fairly shortly.
The 2 have historical past, relationship again to 2021. Topuria, who lives in Spain however is of Georgian descent, took offense to feedback Pimblett made concerning the Russo-Georgian Battle of 2008. Topuria and Pimblett occurred to look on the identical card in March 2022 and almost got here to blows on the UFC’s host lodge in London. The rivalry went dormant for a while after that, as the 2 weren’t in the identical weight class, however after Pimblett overwhelmed Michael Chandler at UFC 314 and now that Topuria has entered the light-weight fray, it’s an apparent battle to make.
However Topuria does assume Pimblett must win yet one more time earlier than he will get a title battle alternative.
“In an ideal world? Paddy would get a win after which we might battle,” Topuria mentioned. “After all, I might end him, however I might take pleasure in that battle, as a result of that is a type of the place you’ve two guys that basically wish to battle with one another. And I might take pleasure in myself in that as a result of in actuality, I see him as a really, very dangerous fighter. I do know I can dominate him in every single place.”
Pimblett, of Liverpool, England, is ranked No. 8 at light-weight and has turn into one of many greatest, most-hyped names within the division. Topuria’s supervisor, Jose Diaz, sees the matchup as not solely Topuria’s first title protection however because the one that may catapult his fighter to UFC superstardom.
“Hopefully the UFC would see it in the identical method they noticed Conor McGregor versus José Aldo, and do the world tour press conferences,” Diaz mentioned. “And we would see a distinct aspect of Ilia forward of that. He is at all times very skilled, however folks would actually see the enjoyable aspect of Ilia for that one. “
Regardless of Topuria’s perception that Pimblett is severely overrated, his brother and coach, Aleksandre Topuria, mentioned the group would by no means take a ranked UFC fighter frivolously and can be effectively ready for the bout — even when a number of the gamesmanship instructed in any other case.
“Each time we step contained in the Octagon, it would not matter who’s in entrance of us, we put together prefer it’s the final battle of our lives,” Aleksandre mentioned. “Paddy may be very snug at 155 kilos, and a very powerful factor is you’ll be able to’t fall into his psychological, emotional sport beforehand. Thankfully, Ilia is excellent at this. Even if you happen to assume Ilia is offended, simply know that he is aware of find out how to play this sport, too.”
Now that Topura is not reducing as a lot weight, he mentioned he would not anticipate to wish as a lot time between fights as he did at featherweight. That mentioned, he does imagine a battle like this might happen in just one location: Las Vegas. That will virtually definitely place Topuria vs. Pimblett for the light-weight title in December.
This will surely be one of many greatest fights in UFC historical past — and if all the pieces had been to fall accurately, it could have a shot to be the largest of all time.
Like Topuria, Makhachev has agreed to vacate his title in an effort to transfer up in weight. The soon-to-be-former light-weight champion is predicted to problem Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight belt later this yr. If Makhachev wins, Topuria already has said he would wish to chase Makhachev as much as 170 kilos and try and turn into the primary to seize belts in three UFC weight courses.
“The dream is that Islam turns into welterweight world champion and the UFC calls me to say they need me to maneuver up,” Topuria mentioned.
Along with Topuria trying to make historical past, this matchup would seemingly pit the Nos. 1 and a pair of pound-for-pound fighters on the planet towards each other. Each have large followings — significantly in Europe and West Asia. Makhachev has greater than fashioned his personal identification, however his shut proximity to lifelong teammate and former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at all times provides intrigue to his battle weeks.
Neither Topuria nor Makhachev is thought for “trash discuss,” however they have already got traded public photographs at each other as a possible assembly has turn into extra seemingly.
“For certain, we’re not going to be type with one another,” Topuria mentioned. “That is for certain. I feel for that battle, they may create one other belt and we might battle for the pound-for-pound belt. The PFP.”
Stylistically, it could be an extremely tough battle for Topuria at 170 kilos — and he undoubtedly can be the largest underdog of his total profession. However his ending capability and confidence, particularly if he had been coming off two light-weight wins towards Oliveira and Pimblett, would give him a powerful likelihood within the eyes of the general public.
“Would I wish to see Ilia compete at welterweight? Clearly, the reply to that’s ‘no,'” Aleksandre mentioned. “However would we take the prospect to battle at welterweight for the belt? For certain. Who would not take this opportunity?
“For Ilia to win that battle, he simply must be himself. There isn’t a secret key to successful that battle. Stylistically, we all know how good we’re, how robust mentally we’re. He would simply have to hold doing what he is been doing.”
Topuria vs. Makhachev can be large wherever on the planet, however it could be excellent for the UFC’s first look in Spain. Topuria has expressed curiosity in filling Actual Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium — which holds greater than 80,000 — for a battle, and understandably mentioned this is able to be the one he’d need.
“Spain, I image that in Spain,” mentioned Topuria, who has lived within the Mediterranean port metropolis of Alicante since he was a teen. “One battle. I actually wish to do a minimum of one battle in Spain, and yeah, that may be unimaginable.”
The catch is that he doesn’t want to do it if it means preventing in the course of the evening native time, which the UFC has traditionally performed with worldwide playing cards to protect the U.S. pay-per-view begin time.
The UFC is at the moment negotiating its subsequent media rights deal within the U.S., and Mark Shapiro, chief working officer of TKO Group Holdings, mentioned earlier this yr that the UFC’s dad or mum firm is open to a non-PPV mannequin.
“Life has modified on the pay-per-view entrance,” Shapiro mentioned at a media convention in March. “Look, it really works for us, however we’re tremendous versatile. Linear, broadcast, streaming, pay-per-view, not pay-per-view.”
“If the UFC does this new take care of any individual who places extra precedence in doing PPVs within the primetime window of the host nation itself, then why could not it’s in Spain?” Diaz mentioned. “Ilia has by no means fought at house within the UFC. … It might be wonderful.”
There isn’t a scarcity of dates an occasion like this might fall on, however a summer time blockbuster appears most probably. That will carry our timeline to mid-2026.
Peace?
Topuria’s imaginative and prescient for his profession so far may be very clear: Pimblett grudge match and historical past with Makhachev. After that, not solely is the imaginative and prescient unclear, it is just about empty.
As laborious because it sometimes is for fighters to stroll away from MMA, nobody on Topuria’s group mentioned they envision him persevering with to battle simply to battle. If he had been to make historical past and win an unprecedented third belt, any future alternative or matchup would actually should excite him for him to take it. One thing that does not exist at this time must materialize throughout the subsequent 18 months.
“I do not know what else he might do at that time,” Diaz mentioned. “I assume search for the following huge battle — or if he is pleased with it, name it a day. Competitors is what would hold him round. An actual competitors.”
For somebody reminiscent of McGregor, who loved a meteoric rise via titles and fame, the will to search for one thing greater led him to the boxing ring and Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017. Topuria has mentioned he is open to the thought of crossing over after his MMA profession is finished, however there is a catch. He must just like the matchup, as a result of he would not field simply to do it.
“That is an choice for me, sure,” Topuria mentioned. “I’ve that door if I need it. Proper now, although, I do not see anybody that I might wish to field with.”
Till any of it occurs, that is all hypothesis and goals. Topuria (a -500 favourite by ESPNBet) might come up brief towards Oliveira (+350) on Saturday, and this whole script would wish a rewrite. However when Aleksandre maps out what an “perfect state of affairs” would seem like for his brother, there’s actually just one logical step after Makhachev.
Peace.
As a result of as soon as you have performed all of it, there is not any sense in persevering with to search for extra.
“There’s at all times one thing you will discover, but when he had been to do all of this, I might inform him he can retire in peace,” Aleksandre mentioned. “Even now, he might retire in peace. But when he did all of this? What’s left? Battle Jon Jones at heavyweight? He may have performed one thing that has by no means occurred earlier than. It is the right state of affairs.”
It is wild to consider. Topuria could not be hoping to retire by 30, however there’s a world during which he nonetheless does.
