Ilia Topuria is close to having his next fight announced, but one option is far more appealing than the other as far as fans are concerned.
Since vacating his featherweight title this past February, Topuria has been waiting for official word on whether his next fight will be for the lightweight title and who it will be against. The latest word from Topuria and UFC CEO Dana White is that he is expected to headline UFC 317 on June 28 against either lightweight champion Islam Makhachev or top contender Charles Oliveira.
The situation is complicated by Makhachev’s close friend and training partner Belal Muhammad defending his welterweight title against Jack Della Maddalena this Saturday at UFC 315. If Della Maddalena dethrones Muhammad, the path will presumably be clear for Makhachev to move up in weight to challenge Della Maddalena. That would mean Topuria fights Oliveira instead, for either a vacant or interim lightweight belts.
All of this adds another layer of intrigue to the UFC 315 main event, though fans are undecided on what the best possible outcome is for the fighters involved.
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