Ilia
Topuria has attracted a lot of eyeballs at lightweight after
announcing his plans to move up.

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Topuria won the featherweight title with a vicious knockout win
over Alexander
Volkanovski at UFC 298 this past February. The Spaniard then
defended his throne by knocking out Max
Holloway for the first time in his career at UFC 308 in
October. While Diego Lopes
was expecting the next title shot against Topuria, “El Matador”
recently announced that we might have seen the last of him 145
pounds. The 27-year-old featherweight king, who is also the
youngest champion in the promotion,
plans to move up to lightweight and retire by 30. With
lightweight champ Islam
Makhachev already booked to defend his throne against Arman
Tsarukyan at UFC 311 on Jan. 18, Topuria is plotting a matchup
against former champ Charles
Oliveira in April or May.

Topuria’s lightweight plans have garnered a lot of attention from
elite lightweight contenders. Perennially ranked Dustin
Poirier (30-9) reposted a fan’s tweet suggesting a matchup
between “The Diamond” and Topuria:

Surging Brit Paddy
Pimblett also posted on social media, plotting a potential
fight with Topuria.

“New blood at 155?” Pimblett wrote on Instagram.

While Renato „Moicano“ Carneiro gave credit to Topuria, the Brazilian fan
favorite believes the Spaniard will be “easy money” for him.
Moicano believes Topuria can knock out many lightweights but
expects himself to make quick work of the undefeated featherweight
champ on the ground. Currently booked to fight Beneil
Dariush at UFC 311 on Jan. 18, Moicano is considering a callout
of Topuria if he wins.

“To be honest I think he would knock out a lot of people… I think
he is very good. But in my defense, I think I would finish him,”
Moicano told Ariel Helwani. “Because I’m not a striker, I’m a
grappler. And if I get his back, I can finish him 100%. But if you
try to strike against him, he is a solid striker. The fight against
Max
Holloway was just incredible. The guy is good. But to be
honest, I think he is very small for the division. I don’t know, I
think he should stay at 145… Easy money [for me], I’m gonna show
you 155.”

IMAK ADMIN

By IMAK ADMIN

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