Ilia
Topuria doesn’t want to drag out his MMA career.

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Topuria recently shared some significant career plans during an
interview on the Spanish radio show El Partidazo de
COPE. The UFC featherweight champ firstly revealed that he is
most likely done with the 145-pound division. Topuria also
confirmed that he plans to move up to lightweight.

Lightweight champ Islam
Makhachev puts his belt on the line against Arman
Tsarukyan at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Los
Angeles, California. The winner of that fight is unlikely to return
by April or May, which is Topuria’s preferred timeline to fight
again. Hence the Spaniard is eyeing a clash against lightweight
contender Charles
Oliveira.

„Since Islam is going to fight in January and he is not going to be
ready for April [or] May, I would like to fight the No. 1
contender, which is Charles
Oliveira,” Topuria said (translation via Championship
Rounds).

Topuria captured the featherweight title with a knockout win over
Alexander
Volkanovski at UFC 298 this past February. The undefeated champ
then defended his title by handing Max
Holloway his first stoppage loss at UFC 308 in October. While
Diego
Lopes has been rallying for a shot at Topuria’s throne, “El
Matador” says he no longer has the motivation to fight at 145
pounds. The 27-year-old wants to move up to lightweight next and
hopefully retire by the age of 30.

„I’m 27. I hope to be out by 30,” he said. “.. Right now, in my
division I no longer have the motivation to defend the belt
anymore. Now I want to move up a category and we’ll see how
everything goes.“

Topuria’s retirement plans drew a reaction from former two-division
UFC champ Conor
McGregor, who is arguably the biggest star in promotion
history. The 36-year-old claims he already achieved all he had to
by the age of 27.

“Here’s the truth that will hurt all the little wannabe nobodies,”
McGregor wrote in a since-deleted post on social media. “Fighting
was too easy for me, I done it all by 27 years old.”

McGregor’s last title win came against Eddie
Alvarez back in 2016, which made the Irishman a two-division
champ. “Notorious” has since dropped three of his last four, only
managing to stop Donald
Cerrone in a welterweight bout in 2020. The Dubliner has been
out of action since breaking his leg in a defeat against Dustin
Poirier in 2021.

IMAK ADMIN

By IMAK ADMIN

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