Ilia Topuria has massive objectives after UFC 308.
This Saturday, Topuria defends his UFC featherweight title towards Max Holloway in Abu Dhabi. It’s one of the vital extremely anticipated fights of the yr, and it’s Topuria’s first title protection, however for “El Matador” it’s greater than that: it’s the following step on a street to immortality.
Talking with UFC on TNT Sports activities forward of this weekend’s massive occasion, Topuria revealed that within the subsequent three years — by the point he’s 30 years outdated — he plans on being a three-division world champion.
“Most likely a three-weight world champion, that is my aim,” Topuria mentioned. “You’re not going to see me within the welterweight division like this, skinny. You’re going to see me completely different. That’s the aim. Transfer as much as the light-weight division, get that belt, then transfer as much as the welterweight division.”
To this point, 9 completely different fights have titles in two UFC weight courses, with solely 5 doing so concurrently. To this point no fighter has ever even challenged for a title in three UFC weight courses, although lately, former UFC middleweight champion and present UFC mild heavyweight champion Alex Pereira teased the potential for shifting as much as heavyweight to take action.
However very first thing is first, Topuria has to settle his enterprise with Holloway. The present “BMF” Champion has solely misplaced to Alexander Volkanovski at featherweight over the previous decade and presents a severe problem to the younger champion. However Topuria has his personal problem for Holloway come Saturday: to fulfill him within the center, like Holloway has repeatedly completed on the finish of earlier fights.
“If he stays within the center the primary 10 seconds of the battle, they’re going to see probably the most thrilling 10 seconds within the UFC in MMA historical past,” Topuria promised. “It’s going to be fireworks. For certain I’m going to try this, and it’s going to be all as much as him if he desires to stick with me or not.”
UFC 308 takes place at Etihad Enviornment in Abu Dhabi this Saturday.
