Ilia Topuria eyes summer move to welterweight and a potential new UFC belt

A changing landscape

Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria has spent much of the past year pushing for a meeting with Islam Makhachev, a matchup that has continued to evolve as both fighters rise through the UFC ranks.

Topuria, who captured the featherweight title earlier in the year, has repeatedly said that facing Makhachev is one of his long term goals. What once looked like a straightforward lightweight opportunity has become more complicated after Makhachev moved to welterweight.

Makhachev, previously the lightweight champion, shifted divisions shortly after his teammate Belal Muhammad lost the welterweight belt.

According to multiple media reports, the opening at the top of the division encouraged him to pursue a second title, something he successfully claimed with a decisive victory over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322. That win made him a two division champion as well as the UFC’s current pound for pound leader, placing him in a rare group of multi weight titleholders.

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Topuria outlines his summer ambitions

In a recent conversation with Spanish journalist Álvaro Colmenero, Topuria said he expects to compete once more at featherweight before turning his attention to welterweight in the summer. He also suggested that the UFC could experiment with a catchweight championship, an idea the promotion has never formally adopted but has occasionally floated through public discussion.

“Maybe I’ll have one more fight, and then in the summer there’s a date when [the UFC] can let me move up to welterweight. Or maybe they’ll create a new belt called the ‘pound for pound title,’ at a catchweight and I’ll fight for [it],” Topuria told Colmenero.

While catchweight bouts are not uncommon for non title fights, introducing a belt outside the standard weight class structure would be unprecedented. Topuria has previously expressed interest in establishing himself as one of the UFC’s most versatile champions, and a fight at a middle point between divisions would likely draw significant attention.

Makhachev considers the possibilities

Makhachev has commented on the potential matchup as well, but has made clear that returning to lightweight would require a compelling offer. Speaking to reporters earlier this month, he said the physical demands of cutting weight have increased with age.

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“It would have to be a very good offer for me to start cutting back to 155 [pounds]. Because I’m not young in this sport anymore, and every weight cut takes years off your health. It’s not as easy as before to cut weight,” he said.

Makhachev has also mentioned former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman as a potential opponent for his next defense. Fans and analysts have debated whether Topuria or Usman represents the greater challenge, given Topuria’s speed and timing and Usman’s long resume at the top of the division.

Pressure from below

Despite his interest in Makhachev, Topuria still faces business within his own weight class. Arman Tsarukyan, the top ranked lightweight contender, has repeatedly called for his shot at the title and remains a strong candidate for a near term matchup.

The UFC has not announced any official plans, leaving open the question of whether Topuria will defend at featherweight before chasing a second belt.

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For now, both champions appear to be weighing their options in divisions that remain among the most competitive in the UFC, setting the stage for what could become one of the promotion’s biggest cross division fights in years.

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