Ilia Topuria is now a dominant force in the UFC, having recently added a second championship belt to his collection.
The fighter, born in Georgia and representing Spain, achieved a significant milestone last weekend at UFC 317 in Las Vegas. He became only the TENTH fighter in the history of the premier MMA promotion to hold titles in two different weight classes.
`El Matador` secured the vacant lightweight championship by delivering a stunning first-round knockout against former champion Charles Oliveira in front of a packed T-Mobile Arena.
Attention is now focused on who the 28-year-old champion will face in his first defense of the 155lbs title, a fight he likely hopes will be held in his adopted country, Spain.
Here are five potential opponents the popular new champion could face in his next bout.
Paddy Pimblett
Considering their ongoing feud, which began with Pimblett`s social media comments about Georgians, this fight is an obvious choice.
These two are currently among the most prominent figures in the competitive division, making a matchup between them, especially with both in strong form, logical.
The anticipation for this fight would be huge, particularly after their dramatic post-fight confrontation and near-altercation.
However, UFC president Dana White has indicated he is not eager to schedule this pairing immediately.
Despite this, demand for this bout, which could be the biggest the promotion can currently stage, is extremely high.
So the UFC would be wise to capitalize while the iron is hot and book this long-awaited clash of stars.
Islam Makhachev
Topuria had previously moved up from featherweight in February, seeking a champion-versus-champion showdown with pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev.
Makhachev later vacated the 155lbs belt, reportedly to pursue the welterweight title, especially after his former training partner Belal Muhammad lost that belt.
The dominant Dagestani fighter is still believed to want to reclaim the lightweight title he originally won in October 2022.
A compelling narrative could unfold if Makhachev were to win the welterweight belt and then return to 155lbs to challenge for the title he previously held, in a superfight fans continue to desire.
Arman Tsarukyan
Arman Tsarukyan, an Armenian fighter, was scheduled to challenge Makhachev for the title in January, but a sudden back injury just hours before the fight canceled the bout.
Tsarukyan, currently on a four-fight winning streak, served as the backup fighter for the main event.
Therefore, he is a logical candidate to be Topuria`s first opponent as the new lightweight champion.
Justin Gaethje
Despite coming off a brutal knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300, there is still a case for Gaethje getting the title shot.
He did the UFC management a favor by agreeing to defend the BMF belt against Holloway at UFC 300, following previous wins over Rafael Fiziev and Dustin Poirier.
The promotion heavily incentivized Gaethje to make the fight happen for their landmark UFC 300 event, and his decision to take that risky bout proved costly.
Granting him a third opportunity to compete for the undisputed lightweight title against Topuria would be a fair gesture from the UFC.
Max Holloway
While Topuria delivered the knockout loss to Holloway in his featherweight title defense, becoming the first to significantly damage his chin, there remains some interest in a rematch between them.
Holloway appeared somewhat depleted in their fight, as he was returning to the featherweight division after adding muscle mass for his BMF bout against Gaethje at UFC 300.
The difficult weight cut might have contributed to his chin finally failing, although Topuria possesses significant power in his hands.
Regardless, if Holloway secures a decisive win in his upcoming trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier, the demand for a rematch with Topuria would likely increase.
Percy Harlow