After a dominant display last night in Jacksonville, Florida, everybody is talking about Ilia Topuria. He showcased his high-level boxing skills for most of the twenty-five-minute bout, both from an offensive and defensive standpoint. One of the judges, Christopher Lee, scored the contest 50-42 in favor of Ilia Topuria with round four being given 10-7 to the number nine ranked featherweight.
It is only the fourth time in UFC history that we have seen such a lop-sided scorecard of 50-42. Max Holloway earned the same against Calvin Kattar, as did Rich Franklin and Dave Menne for their wins over David Loiseau and Gil Castillo, respectively – a hugely impressive showing.
Topuria remains unbeaten in his Mixed Martial Arts career, with last night’s victory over the number five ranked Josh Emmett taking his record to 14-0 (6-0 in the UFC.) It was the biggest test of Topuria’s career, and he passed it with flying colors as he rose to the occasion in front of a sold-out VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville.
Title Shot?
In the post-fight press conference, Topuria said that the toughness of Josh Emmett surprised him as he was expecting to win via knockout in either the first or second round. Oscar Willis of ‘The Mac Life’ asked Topuria who he wanted to fight next and whether or not he would be willing to fight Max Holloway.
Topuria said that one of his strengths is patience and would be willing to wait for a title shot against Alexander Volkanovski. It could be some wait, as the featherweight champion would probably get an immediate rematch should he lose to Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290 in two weeks. Should Volkanovski defend his title, there is every chance he moves up in weight to try and gain redemption over Islam Makhachev. If that happens, there may be a possibility of an interim title shot for Topuria.
If his wish came true and Topuria was granted a title shot against Volkanovski, he expects the fight to go the same way as last night’s dominant victory over Emmett. ”It won’t be any different with Alex. The wrestling is going to be the same. I’m going to knock him out in the first round [or] second round. If not, I’m going to dominate him for five rounds, no problem”.
Fans were salivating last night at the prospect of Topuria facing Max Holloway next – the self-proclaimed ‘best boxer in the UFC.’ First, he has to get through his fight against The Korean Zombie on August 26, and providing there are no injuries, we could see Topuria vs. Holloway sometime in late fall. The UFC may decide against booking this bout as if Max were to defeat Zombie and then Topuria, it would be near on impossible to deny him a fourth crack at Volkanovski, something which the matchmakers may not be keen on doing.
Holloway has shown time and again that he’s willing to fight anybody, but a fight with Topuria may be viewed as risky to his number two ranking, and he may even get a title shot if he defeats The Korean Zombie later this summer which would mean Topuria would certainly need to fight again before getting a shot himself.
Other options
Arnold Allen is a genuine option. He is currently ranked number four in the featherweight rankings and impressed in his recent defeat to Holloway. It would be another step up for Topuria, and if he were to defeat Allen, his profile would escalate even further as it would be a nailed-on contender for Fight of the Night, given the fighting styles of both men.
Another option for Topuria, although much less likely, would be a fight against Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett. They have history, given their altercation in a hotel lobby in the build-up to an event in London last year. They have continued to insult each other via social media and during interviews, but with Pimblett likely to be ruled out for the rest of the year, as well as being unranked, it’s a fight for down the road, perhaps.
Plenty of scenarios will play out over the coming months in a stacked featherweight division, and there are plenty of options for Topuria’s next opponent. Thanks to his performance last night, it will be a big fight, whoever it’s against; let’s hope we don’t have to wait too long. Topuria is willing to sit on the sidelines for a while, but the fans are desperate to see him fight sooner rather than later.
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