Overview

• Ilia Topuria has stated that the UFC guaranteed his next fight will be for the lightweight title after vacating his featherweight championship in February.
• Topuria's opponent has not been confirmed, with reigning champion Islam Makhachev and former champion Charles Oliveira both in contention for the matchup.
• Makhachev has expressed reluctance to face Topuria without the latter proving himself in the lightweight division, while Oliveira has pushed for a rematch with Makhachev instead.
• Topuria has criticized Oliveira’s record, highlighting his 10 career losses and questioning the toughness of the lightweight division compared to featherweight.
• The UFC has yet to finalize the lightweight title picture, leaving fans and fighters speculating about the next major bout in the division.