Ilia Topuria is already looking beyond his upcoming lightweight title fight against Charles Oliveira, showcasing his trademark confidence at the recent WOW 20 press conference. The current featherweight champion will step into the octagon on June 28 to battle for the vacant 155-pound belt, but his ambitions clearly don't stop there.
"I have no idea honestly [if Arman or Paddy will be my first title defense]," Topuria stated at the press conference. "I'll be there on June 28. Initially it was going to be Islam Makhachev, then Charles Oliveira, if Charles falls out it would be Arman Tsarukyan, but it doesn't matter... The result would be the same, I'll dance with all of them."
The 28-year-old Spanish-Georgian fighter's confidence is certainly not lacking as he prepares to potentially become a two-division champion. While Islam Makhachev, the former lightweight champion, has moved up in weight class himself, Topuria now finds himself facing Oliveira instead.
Interestingly, Topuria also mentioned that his training camp is progressing exceptionally well. "The camp is going super well, I've brought in sparring partners from different parts of the world. I'm going to collect what I've earned with my work," he added.
The lightweight division isn't short on contenders waiting for their title shot, with names like Arman Tsarukyan and Paddy Pimblett potentially in line should Topuria emerge victorious next month. But could we see him move up even further? There's apparently a possibility that Topuria might eventually challenge for the welterweight title too, provided the current champion agrees.
Will "El Matador" successfully add another championship to his collection? His journey continues on June 28, and if his confidence is any indication, he's already seeing himself with that second belt around his waist.
