After securing back-to-back-to-back knockout victories over three MMA legends in Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira, the Ilia Topuria next fight is a hot topic of conversation.
The 17-0 two-division UFC king could return before the end of the year, with several names in the running for Topuria’s next fight.
Ilia Topuria Next Fight: Will ‘El Matador’ Fight Arman Tsarukyan Or Paddy Pimblett?
Despite being just 28-years-old and having only had nine UFC fights to date, Ilia Topuria is already one of the biggest stars in all of MMA. Not to mention the fact ‘El Matador’ is already a two-division UFC champion and serial knockout artist too.
Ilia Topuria’s record is currently an unblemished 17-0. This consists of seven knockout victories, eight submissions and two wins via decision. The Spanish-Georgian MMA phenom has won each of his nine UFC fights to date, seven of which have come inside the distance.
Fans last saw Topuria in action at UFC 317 when he became a two-weight UFC champion. He knocked out Charles Oliveira in Round 1 of their 155-pound title contest, adding the UFC Lightweight Title to his mantelpiece with an emphatic display.
UFC President Dana White quite evidently has a superstar on his hands, with Topuria already the second most followed UFC fighter on Instagram too.
In regards to Ilia Topuria’s next fight, it is yet to be confirmed who ‘El Matador’ will face. #1 lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan and Paddy Pimblett are the two obvious front-runners right now.
Tsarukyan was the back-up fighter at UFC 317, making weight incase Topuria or Oliveira missed. He will likely get the next shot, unless that opportunity is granted to Pimblett. Paddy Pimblett’s next fight is rumoured to be against Justin Gaethje, with the winner almost guaranteed the next title shot.
This is a genuine possibility as well with ‘The Baddy’ getting in the octagon and facing off with Topuria following his Round 1 knockout victory over ‘Do Bronx’. That fight is absolutely massive, but Pimblett likely needs one more victory before he gets a shot at the 155-pound belt.
Could Ilia Topuria’s Next Fight Be Against Islam Makhachev?
Ilia Topuria’s next fight certainly provides plenty of options going forward in the lightweight division.
As the current #3 ranked pound-for-pound UFC fighter on the planet, ‘El Matador’ will be able to call the shots with regards to who he faces next. This could well mean tempting Islam Makhachev into a blockbuster champion vs champion clash.
The 28-year-old has called for a showdown with Makhachev for the best part of a year now, insisting that he would knock the dominant Dagestani fighter out. This fight has the potential to be one of the biggest fights in UFC history. Period.
Islam Makhachev’s next fight is of course up at welterweight against Jack Della Maddalena, meaning this super-fight that may well happen in the next 12 months up at 170-pounds if ‘El Matador’ decides to move up in weight again.
Another option for the Spanish-Georgian MMA phenom would be a rematch with Max Holloway, this time at lightweight. If Holloway beats Dustin Poirier in their UFC 318 trilogy, that could set up a mouth-watering rematch clash at 155-pounds for UFC gold.
The Arman Tsarukyan clash is another potential fight as the #1 contender at 155-pounds. This seems like the most obvious fight for ‘El Matador’ next, but time will tell just who will stand in the opposite corner of the cage against Topuria in his next outing.
No matter what he does next, Ilia Topuria, who boasts a net worth of $2m+, will be paid extremely well. In extraordinarily quick time, he has become one of the biggest names on the entire UFC roster. He could cement his legacy in years to come as an all-time great.
Ilia Topuria’s next fight could be against some of these aforementioned names, with some mega-fights coming to fruition for ‘El Matador’ in 2026 and beyond.
