It is not wrong to say that Ilia Topuria is the epitome of confidence. The way he claimed himself as champion even before earning the title, has earned him numerous fans worldwide. And now, the world is showering him with respect and cheers. While his career has started soaring higher than the sky, Topuria dropped surprising news during an interview with Spanish media El Partidazo de COPE about his plans for his retirement. Just like some legends of different sports, from Khabib Nurmagomedov to Michael Jordan.
Topuria opened up about his career, revealing that he entered the professional realm at the age of 18. Talking further, ‘El Matador’ stated he believes that 12-14 years is enough time for anyone to compete at the highest level. Which suggested that he’ll retire at the age of 30-32.
When the interviewer asked if he’s seriously considering it, he confidently affirmed. This means that the 27-year-old might only have around 5 more years of competition left before retirement.
Indeed, athletes like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Michael Jordan retired early because they had already achieved everything they set out to accomplish in their careers. Till now, Topuria seems to be on the right track, maintaining an undefeated record and even taking down legends like Volkanovski.
But considering his statement, Topuria may only have 6-10 more matches left if he competes twice a year until he reaches 32. However, there are still plenty of goals for him to achieve before retiring at that stage. So it will be interesting to see if he can achieve everything within the next 5 years.
When Is UFC Champion Ilia Topuria Set to Enter the Octagon Again?
After his fight against Alexander Volkanovski, Topuria is taking some time off before stepping back into the octagon. According to reports, the Spanish fighter plans to make his return in October of this year. As for his next opponent, there are a few names being considered.
🚨 Ilia Topuria says that his next fight could be in October or November.
(via. @partidazocope, h/t @pelunaton) pic.twitter.com/Hv4OoCIILi
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 28, 2024
First, there’s talk of a rematch against Volkanovski, the division’s long-time champion. Ideally, the UFC would probably like to set that up first. If this will take some time then given Topuria is interested in facing Islam Makhachev after the Justin Gaethje fight, fans might witness them sharing the octagon.
However, not to forget that there’s also talk of fights against Sean O’Malley and Movsar Evloev, who both want to take him on. So there are lot of options for the featherweight champion that he can aim for.
