Ilia Topuria, the UFC’s newly crowned featherweight champion, isn’t content with just one title. As he prepares to defend his belt against Max Holloway at UFC 308, Topuria already has his sights set on bigger goals—like moving up to welterweight to take on current champion Belal Muhammad.
The two fighters have been trading jabs on social media, and the Spaniard isn’t shy about his abilities, to put it conservatively.
In a recent interview, he boldly claimed that taking the welterweight title would be “easy” with Muhammad as the champion, fueling excitement for a potential clash in the future.
When asked in a recent interview what could be next after potentially securing a win over Max Holloway, Topuria shared his lofty goals.
“After this one, it could be to move up to the lightweight division. And if we still have that fake champion in the welterweight division, Belal, that is an easy one for me. It’s Max Holloway then the lightweight title and then the welterweight title that would be great.”
View this post on Instagram
Topuria and Muhammad have now sparked a beef that’s caught the attention of UFC fans. During an Instagram Live, Topuria even called the Palestinian-American a “fake champ” and predicted that Shavkat Rakhmonov would take his belt at UFC 310.
Muhammad fired back on Twitter, continuing their back-and-forth.
While a champ vs. champ fight seems unlikely due to the massive weight difference, the tension between these two is undeniable. For now, both fighters have bigger tasks ahead, with Topuria defending his title against Holloway at UFC 308.
Topuria warns anyone picking Holloway over him
MMA fans are in for a treat at UFC 308, where undefeated knockout artist and featherweight champion Ilia Topuria will face off against Max Holloway, the former king of the 145lb division and widely regarded as the best boxer in the UFC. With just a week to go, the tension is sky-high, especially after Topuria fired shots at fighters secretly picking Holloway to win.
Topuria is confident he’ll knock out Holloway in the first round, calling him “not on my level” in striking. He even promised to challenge Holloway right from the start: “First 10 seconds, I’m going to point to the middle of the octagon… let’s bang, bro.”
Topuria isn’t just aiming at Holloway—he’s also taking notes on UFC fighters predicting his loss. “They act like fans, but when it comes to picking, they go with Holloway. F*** them all,” he said, vowing not to forget those who doubted him.
So, who are you willing to bet your money on?
