Ilia Topuria welcomes Spanish homecoming against Max Holloway after UFC Jacksonville shutout
Ilia Topuria already has his sights set on a high-stakes scrap with former featherweight world champion Max Holloway following his impressive unanimous decision win over Josh Emmett.
Topuria stepped into the spotlight for his first main event matchup on Saturday inside Jacksonville’s VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Squaring off with one-time interim title challenger Josh Emmett, Ilia Topuria delivered another dominant performance over the 25-minute affair, earning his 14th-straight win in the process. Likely sitting in the featherweight division’s top five come Monday morning, ‘El Matador’ plans on his next matchup being for the 145-pound crown. But there is one bout he’s willing to take before the inevitable title opportunity.
Appearing on the UFC Jacksonville post-fight show, Ilia Topuria suggested that he would put his title aspirations on hold for a clash with perennial contender Max Holloway, but only if it takes place in Spain.
Ilia Topuria Content to Sit and Wait for UFC Title Shot If Max Holloway Isn’t an Option
Max Holloway is one of the most accomplished featherweights in the history of the division but currently finds himself in a precarious position, having lost three-straight fights to the reigning 145-pound king, Alexander Volkanovski. With a fourth title fight unlikely, ‘Blessed’ could either settle into his position as the division’s gatekeeper or move on to 155, where a bevy of fresh matchups awaits.
Hollway recently revealed that a featherweight scrap with The Korean Zombie could be on the cards considering the two men have never met inside the Octagon. If things don’t pan out for that fan-friendly firefight, Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway could be the fight to make while Volkanovski settles things with Yair Rodriguez next month.
Alexander Volkanovski is scheduled to unify his featherweight world title with the division’s interim championship, currently held by Rodriguez at UFC 290 on July 8. The winner of that fight will likely find themselves matched up with Ilia Topuria in the future.
Do you want to see Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway, or should ‘El Matador’ sit back and wait for a title fight with the winner of Volkanovski/Rodriguez?
