Former BMF champion Jorge Masvidal believes one man has the best shot at dethroning Ilia Topuria’s UFC featherweight title reign.
UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria is fresh off of beating BMF titleholder Max Holloway in his first title defense at UFC 308. But as he looks ahead to what’s next for his title reign, another BMF legend pointed to potentially his biggest threat.
Topuria has a few potential options for his next fight, including a possible super fight with UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. A middleweight star potentially leaked the featherweight champion’s return for UFC 314 in April.
In the meantime, all options are on the table for Topuria’s return as he continues to climb the pound-for-pound rankings. He could potentially run it back with Alexander Volkanovski after winning the title at UFC 298 last year.
But Jorge Masvidal has another name in mind for Topuria’s next fight, which he says could be his toughest test yet.
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Jorge Masvidal picks American Top Team teammate as biggest threat to Ilia Topuria
During a recent appearance on the JAXXON podcast, Masvidal picked a surprising name for what could be Topuria’s biggest test in the featherweight division.
“We got another killer from American Top Team. This one sucks for me because these are two friends of mine. I love both these guys… I love Ilia, and I love Movsar. Movsar is the complete opposite in many ways because he can wrestle, man,” Masvidal said.
“This dude can wrestle. He’s undefeated in the UFC and has great wins. He is the type of guy you would think you need to beat Ilia. Don’t stand with him, because obviously, he’s got some secret sauce in his hands. Take him down, control him, and maybe Movsar is the guy to do it.” (h/t SportsKeeda)
Movsar Evloev most recently defeated Aljamain Sterling at UFC 310 in December. It was a competitive fight from start to finish, but the unbeaten Evloev left the Octagon with a decision victory.
Evloev and Topuria were supposed to meet earlier in their careers at UFC 270, but the fight fell apart after Evloev withdrew on weeks’ notice. The two sides have traded barbs on social media for years, and a potential fight between them could make sense for the featherweight champ’s next defense.
Ilia Topuria’s lightweight teases complicate next featherweight title fight
But one intriguing element of Topuria’s place in the UFC is his teased move up to the lightweight division. Almost immediately after becoming the first fighter to knock out Holloway, Topuria announced a move to 155lbs, potentially against a former champion for a No. 1 contender bout.
Topuria fought at lightweight earlier in his career against Jai Herbert, rallying to earn a TKO victory after getting dropped with a head kick early in the fight. Before wins over Holloway and Volkanovski, Topuria earned wins over Josh Emmett, Bryce Mitchell, and Ryan Hall.
Whether Topuria’s next fight will be at featherweight or lightweight is uncertain, as of this writing, but either way, it’s expected to be another high-profile matchup. We could get more clarity on Topuria’s future in the coming weeks.