Ilia Topuria is already planning his next move beyond his upcoming lightweight title fight against Charles Oliveira. The current UFC featherweight champion spoke confidently at the WOW 20 press conference about his future plans in the 155-pound division.
"I have no idea honestly (if Arman or Paddy will be my first title defense). I'll be there on June 28. Initially it was going to be Islam Makhachev, then Charles Oliveira, if Charles fell out it would be Arman Tsarukyan, but it doesn't matter... The result would be the same, I'll dance around all of them," Topuria declared.
The 28-year-old fighter will face Oliveira on June 28 for the vacant lightweight belt after former champion Islam Makhachev decided to move up a weight class. The Spanish-Georgian competitor enters the bout as the favorite, looking to become a two-division UFC champion.
Topuria's training preparations appear to be on track for the showdown. "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.
Interestingly, the featherweight king might not stop at two weight classes. There's speculation that Topuria could eventually challenge for the welterweight title, provided the current champion agrees to the match-up.
With potential challengers like Arman Tsarukyan and Paddy Pimblett already waiting in the 155-pound division, Topuria faces a busy schedule if he captures the lightweight crown. But first things first—can "El Matador" deliver on his confident predictions against the dangerous former champion Oliveira?
