5 potential opponents for Ilia Topuria after UFC London victory
Ilia Topuria put on a masterful performance when moving up to lightweight at UFC Fight Night: Aspinall vs. Volkov, and fans are curious about what is next for the Georgian. The 25-year-old is now 4-0 in the UFC, finishing his last three via knockout.
The sky is the limit for this fighter of Georgian descent. 12 wins, 11 stoppages, and the ability to perform in multiple weight classes prove that Topuria is a name to be watching closely.
'El Matador' famously finished Ryan Hall at UFC 264, an event that featured the third meeting between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier. This knockout finish on a card with so many eyes on it garnered a great deal of attention that would roll over into his next outing. Topuria continued to impress with his recent knockout finish of Jai Herbert, a fight in which he showed incredible toughness.
Respect ✊
#UFCLondon #respect https://t.co/uU2bdMZjFI
The bout against Herbert was Topuria's lightweight debut after having contested primarily at featherweight so far. He expressed that he wants to move back down to 145lbs and continue his run there, but a potential fight at 155lbs could keep him around.
With all the momentum he could ask for, the options are endless; here are five potential opponents for Ilia Topuria after the UFC London victory.:
#5. Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett
Some heated tweets culminated in fists thrown between Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett at the fighter's hotel a few days before the night of the UFC London card. Both fighters had to overcome early adversity in their respective bouts but scored an emphatic finish inside the octagon.
John McCarthy wants a step up for Paddy Pimblett 🤔
Full story: bit.ly/3CXfEo1 https://t.co/XjCneAP4cV
'El Matador' found a concluding punch to end his opponent's night, and the following moments saw him call out Pimblett, which was showered with boos from the English crowd.
Later in the night, 'The Baddy' blew the roof off the O2 arena when he forced a tap from his opponent, Rodrigo Vargas. He largely disregarded Topuria's callout and hilariously called out Mark Zuckerberg.
A fight against Pimblett would keep Topuria at lightweight, and there is a great deal of tension behind it. This is not the best match for either fighter in terms of cracking the top 15 of their division, but it's undoubtedly a fight that would bring in the attention of fans all over the globe.