Ilia Topuria will be fancying a double-champion status as he faces off against Charles Oliveira. After creating ripples in the featherweight division, Topuria is now coming for the lightweight belt. And there is no shortage of confidence from ‘El Matador.’ Having knocked out names like Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski, Topuria wants to establish himself as a dominant force in the UFC. And while he is looking ahead to UFC 317, ‘El Matador’ revealed the name of his potential opponent.
In a recent interaction with Alvaro Colmenero, Topuria stated who is deserving of getting a title shot. The former featherweight champion named Justin Gaethje as a probable opponent. Topuria said that if anybody is deserving of a direct title shot, it is Gaethje.
“The one who really deserves a title shot straight away could be Justin Gaethje,” said Topuria.
Ilia Topuria believes Justin Gaethje could be his first lightweight title defense if he wins at #UFC317 👀
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 27, 2025
(via @KOlmeneroMMA) pic.twitter.com/COSIoJGnDs
Surely, Topuria has a point here. Gaethje might have been knocked out cold by Max Holloway. But he did take his time and came back strongly. Facing off against Rafael Fiziev, Gaethje looked a little rusty initially. However, as the bout progressed, Gaethje got back his mojo and secured a victory. Meanwhile, Justin Gaethje is not the only name that Topuria has in his mind.
Ilia Topuria Calls Out Paddy Pimblett
Ilia Topuria is already plotting who his potential opponents might be. Opining on the same, Topuria stated that he would like to face Paddy Pimblett. The Spaniard said that Pimblett has a very good ability to sell fights. And that, coupled with Topuria’s own unique mic skills, will be guaranteed to intrigue the fans.
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“After Charles, hopefully Paddy. Hopefully he gets one more fight and wins that, and finally we can be in the same octagon together. I think it’s a matter of time, and it’s gonna happen,” said Topuria.
Ilia Topuria sets his sights on Paddy Pimblett after Charles Oliveira 👀🔥
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) June 22, 2025
"After Charles, hopefully Paddy. Hopefully he gets one more fight and wins that, and finally we can be in the same octagon together. I think it's a matter of time, and it's gonna happen."
🎥@ufc pic.twitter.com/o5VqbM5Wq6
Thus, with Topuria oozing confidence, it remains to be seen what happens next.
Also Read: Ilia Topuria Unexpectedly Defends Islam Makhachev’s Decision To Change Divisions
