Eight lightweight opponent options for UFC's featherweight king Ilia Topuria

Ilia Topuria has taken the saying "new year, new me" extra seriously in 2025.

"El Matador" entered the year as the UFC's undisputed featherweight champion but recently chose to vacate the title and move up to the lightweight division. Why? Well, the Georgian-Spanish star felt as though he'd already "cemented his legacy" in the 145-pound division.

“He said, ‘I’ve done everything I can do here, I’m ready to move up,’ and he vacated it and said ‘I shouldn’t be holding up anybody’s opportunities,’” UFC president Dana White said over the weekend at UFC Seattle when asked about his conversation with Topuria. “I respect when guys do that. … I think that he felt he had done everything with the guys that he beat. If you look at who he beat and how he beat them, right? And I don’t think he loved making that weight anymore.”

Fair enough, considering Topuria is 8-0 since entering the UFC (16-0 overall in professional mixed martial arts) with all but two of his wins coming by knockout or submission.

In 2024, he claimed the belt by dethroning Alexander Volkanovski in February via second-round KO and then followed that up by putting Max Holloway to sleep in under 15 minutes in October. Two icons of the division, halted by a new king.

Now, with most of the top contenders dispatched and no desire to keep cutting down to 145 pounds, the 28-year-old is ready to move up to a new weight class permanently and go big-game hunting.

A daring move with potentially legacy-defining consequences. Which begs the tantalizing question: since it won't be another featherweight title defence, who will Topuria face the next time he steps into the Octagon?

The striking savant joins a stacked division with no shortage of stars. Topuria is 1-0 in lightweight bouts in the UFC having knocked out Jai Herbert in 2022 in a bout he took on short notice. Now that he's moving up to 155 pounds permanently it means there are four fighters competing in the division currently ranked amongst the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings, which is the most of any weight class.

With all that being said, let's take a look at possible opponents for Topuria's anticipated next chapter of his fighting career.

Islam Makhachev (27-1-0)

This should come as no surprise. A bout between Topuria and Makhachev, the reigning lightweight champion and No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on the UFC roster, has been a collective fantasy of MMA fans for some time now, and it appears the UFC knows as much. The promotion is reportedly working on making the mega-fight happen, according to insider Ariel Helwani, potentially as soon as International Fight Week in June.

All the while, Topuria hasn't been shy about wanting the matchup. Making it known he's confident about putting an end to the lightweight champ's dominance.

Since winning the title by submitting Charles Oliveira in 2022, Makhachev has successfully defended it four times while extending his overall win streak to 15. His latest victory came at UFC 311 last month, making fill-in Renato Moicano tap in the first round.

The 33-year-old hasn't lost since getting knocked out in his second UFC appearance a decade ago. And although many have tried (and failed) to replicate that outcome, arguably none were as lethal with their fists as Topuria. Just ask Holloway, who had never been KO'd until he stepped into the cage with the Topuria.

While it would no longer technically have the champ versus champ billing, it'd still be one of the biggest fights the UFC could put together.

Topuria knows it too. The weight cut may have been part of his decision to move up, but so was the chance to offer both fighters a new challenge — one that could raise their status amongst the greats.

“I don’t like to be a bully and fight people that I know 100 per cent that I’m going to whoop," Topuria said on the Full Send Podcast two weeks ago. "I like to fight with people that fans think is going to be very competitive … with Islam, I’m going to have that.”

Arman Tsarukyan (22-3-0)

It might seem simple to immediately give the Armenian tactician another shot at the belt — his first title bout against Makhachev was cancelled when he pulled out the day before UFC 311 with a back injury — but that isn't the plan right now.

Following UFC 311, White said that Tsarukyan would have to work his way back to a title opportunity despite being the No. 1 contender and already climbing the ladder once. The 28-year-old is on a four-fight win streak and his last two victories came against No. 9-ranked Beneil Dariush and No. 2 Oliveira, beating the latter at UFC 300 courtesy of a split decision.

Although most would prefer to see Topuria take on the champ right away, there is reasonability to seeing him "earn" a title shot, or at the very least, observe how he fights at 155 before setting up the blockbuster championship bout. Taking on the top-ranked challenger in Tsarukyan, who now has something to prove, would be a great litmus test.

White made sure to leave that door open when asked about a future Topuria vs. Makhachev showdown, saying "there are still other possibilities, so there's a lot of (bleep) going on."

Charles Oliviera (23-10-0, 1 NC)

If not Makhachev or Tsarukyan, why not Oliveira?

Styles may make fights, but so do stars, and a fight between "El Matador" and "Do Bronx" checks both those boxes. Few names have cachet on par with Topuria these days, but Oliveira is certainly one of them. His 34 fights under the banner are tied for sixth-most in UFC history and his 20 finishes rank first all-time.

Now, the 15-year UFC vet appears primed for another shot at the belt he held four years ago. Oliveira most recently took care of business against Michael Chandler in November, the same man he beat to claim the vacant lightweight title at UFC 262.

While some believed he would be next in line to take on the winner of Makhachev or Tsarukyan, facing Topuria instead might make more sense considering the Brazilian's last two losses came courtesy of the champ and No. 1 contender. Before running it back against either, pinning the division stalwart against the new kid on the block would be intriguing as fans would relish seeing two finishing specialists go head-to-head.

Two of Makhachev's lightweight title defences were against Volkanovski who at the time was the defending featherweight champion. Dispatching Oliveira would also make Topuria's status as a "legit lightweight" undeniable. At least according to Rizvan Magomedov, Makhachev's manager, that is.

Dustin Poirier (30-9-0)

Following a UFC career that began in 2011 — which now includes an interim championship, four title fights and 22 wins (tied for fifth-most all-time) — "The Diamond" is looking for one final bout before taking off his gloves for good.

And given he's already fought just about every top contender in the division, past and present — Poirier's last appearance in June ending as a fifth-round D'Arce choke loss to Makhachev — options seem limited. While the UFC could set him up against a prospect or division vet to send the 36-year-old into retirement on a high note, that isn't his style. Poirier has never been one to shy away from a challenge.

Taking on Topuria to bookend the final chapter of his storied career while helping the 28-year-old pen the latest pages of his, it's hard to think of a more fitting finish for Poirier, win or lose. Close your eyes and "just imagine."

LESS LIKELY BUT STILL INTRIGUING

Winner of Michael Chandler (23-9-0) vs. Paddy Pimblett (22-3-0): Similarly, whoever wins between these two at UFC 314, strengthens their case of welcoming Topuria to lightweight. Although Chandler has lost four of his last five fights and is 2-4 since entering the UFC, he's by no means an easy out. Should he halt Pimblett's momentum, taking on Topuria would be a great way to re-ignite his chase for a title after losses to Oliveira (twice), Poirier and Gaethje left him in limbo.

Meanwhile, "The Baddy" has been perfect since entering the UFC (6-0), steadily rising to No. 12 at 155 pounds following a first-round submission win over King Green at UFC 304. Should he dispatch No. 7 Chandler in April, Pimblett would not only leap up the leaderboard, but also prove he's ready for the division's best. Pimblett and Topuria were involved in an altercation during a Fight Week in England in 2022.

Winner of Justin Gaethje (25-5-0) vs. Dan Hooker (24-12-0): Topuria already described taking on Gaethje as a "great fight." But given the fact the former interim lightweight champ and BMF titleholder is set to take on Hooker at UFC 313, a potential matchup would have to wait until later in the year. And while that timing would be disappointing, seeing how a head-to-head between "The Highlight" and "The Hangman" unfolds might be worth it. While Gaethje already has the clout to take on Topuria, if Hooker were to beat him, his case to challenge the Spaniard would be pretty compelling too. With a win, the 35-year-old's streak would extend to four and then include victories over three consecutive ranked opponents, previously beating Mateusz Gamrot (No. 8) and Jalin Turner (No. 13) before he takes on Gaethje.

Conor McGregor (22-6-0): This one is a long shot for a lot of reasons. Among them: McGregor hasn't fought in the UFC since 2021, his cancelled bout against Chandler still looms and Topuria has sort of rejected the idea already.

Although the ex-featherweight champ at one point called out McGregor, when asked a couple months ago what his answer would be now if offered that fight, Topuria said "no, because there are bigger fights than him. I know he is not what he was. He’s not the McGregor who moved the masses ... We have lost an idol."

And to no one's surprise, "The Notorious" former two-division champ responded to those comments with a smattering of insults and threats.

So how about we settle the beef by getting the pair into the Octagon? And if the emotions won't convince them, the pay cheque ought to. Both Topuria and McGregor have major star power — the likes of which could set pay-per-view records — and with the Irishman still needing to fight out the rest of his contract, the promotion may as well try to cash in expeditiously.

Max Holloway (26-8-0): Although "El Matador" already took care of business against the former featherweight champ at UFC 308 not too long ago, it was an entertaining bout nonetheless. Considering that Holloway is also done cutting to featherweight, not to mention the fact he looked better than ever when he won the BMF Title from Gaethje in a lightweight bout last year, running that high-level matchup back at 155 pounds could see things go differently. At the very least, it'd likely lead to another highlight reel finish one way or another.