Ilia Topuria is finally willing to fight Max Holloway for the featherweight title. However, given the recent state of events, he now wants to do it at lightweight. But how is a featherweight title going to be defended at lightweight?
The recent state of events being referred to here is about how Dana White promoting the Brian Ortega vs Diego Lopes fight to lightweight before the curtains came down on it. White had to take this decision looking at the trouble Ortega was facing in cutting down to the featherweight limit.
And now, ‘El Matador’ wants to make things easier for Holloway by fighting at lightweight. He also pleaded ‘Blessed’ to “sign the contract” for the fight.
“Max, you won’t have to cut to featherweight. I will defend the belt at 155 pounds, but please sign the contract.”
Max, you won’t have to cut to featherweight. I will defend the belt at 155 pounds, but please sign the contract. https://t.co/SPG0k9MDRg
— Ilia Topuria (@Topuriailia) June 29, 2024
Holloway has already proved his might in the lightweight division, with a victory over Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. The KO was so violent that fans talked about Topuria looking scared after witnessing how ‘Blessed’ put ‘The Highlight’ to sleep in the ending seconds of their BMF title scrap.
But the 27-year-old’s update calling for a fight against Holloway at lightweight indicates he’s itching to have a go at Holloway’s chin.
Well, Topuria may have revealed his wish without caring about anything else. But a little analysis of the words in his post indicates that his wish is a rather ambiguous one, which brings us back to the question-
How can Ilia Topuria defend his featherweight title at lightweight?
He can’t. It’s wishful thinking.
Topuria is the featherweight champion, also Holloway’s regular weight class and both of them need to stick to the weight for the title to be in the picture.
If they go to lightweight, sure they can fight but without the title on the line.
So, there’s no way in which Topuria’s wish to defend his featherweight gold against Holloway at “155 pounds” can come into being. So, yes, while there is an uncommon sense of bravado from the Spaniard, it also lacks any common sense since a featherweight title can’t be defended at lightweight.
Besides, Holloway wants the featherweight title, he has already once been declared by Dana White as the ‘greatest featherweight of all time’ and the greatest featherweight of all time doesn’t really have an issue making 145 lbs.
