This week is a huge one for Ilia Topuria as he looks to achieve success in a second weight class.
Following his remarkable run at featherweight, the undefeated star will now attempt to shoot right to the top of the lightweight division at UFC 317.
Topuria faces Charles Oliveira in the main event on June 28, where a new 155 pound champion will be crowned after Islam Makhachev vacated the title.
With Topuria potentially looking to secure even more UFC gold in the future, ‘El Matador’ has big plans, and they aren’t just for his own career.
The 28-year-old has also been investing in the sport and attempting to give fighters the platforms and opportunities they need to follow in his footsteps, with the MMA promotion he’s involved with recently signing a notable name.
Former UFC bantamweight Brett Johns signs with Ilia Topuria’s WOW FC following PFL exit
Ahead of his featherweight title defense against Max Holloway, it was announced that Ilia Topuria had become a part-owner of the Spanish MMA promotion, Way of Warrior FC.
Topuria hopes that with his involvement, the promotion can become the platform that Spanish fighters need, which wasn’t available to him during his path to the UFC.
The promotion’s next event, which will air on UFC Fight Pass from Marbella, Spain, will feature a former UFC fighter who also spent time in the PFL, as reported by Ben Thomas.
Brett Johns first arrived in the UFC back in November of 2016, bringing a record of 11-0 with him into his Octagon debut.
The Welshman was able to hit the ground running on the big stage, winning three in a row, including a 30-second submission victory over Joe Soto which saw him produce just the second calf slicer in UFC history.
Johns’ streak led him to a matchup with Aljamain Sterling, who won the fight via unanimous decision, which kicked off his winning run that went all the way to the bantamweight title.
He parted ways with the UFC in 2020 after his contract expired, having gone 5-2 inside the Octagon, before he made several appearances with Bellator and PFL.
Johns had previously been announced as a part of the GFL roster, but now he will look to bounce back from consecutive losses by debuting in Topuria’s WOW FC.
Brett Johns faced Georgian talent Levan Kirtadze on his WOW FC debut
While Brett Johns’ PFL run may have ended in back-to-back losses, he’s still a high-level competitor on the European scene.
At WOW 21 on August 9, he will take on Georgia’s Levan Kirtadze as both men look to get back into the winning column in the co-main event of the evening.
Though it hasn’t been announced as of yet, a fellow Welsh fighter is also set to feature in the main event, as per the promotion.
Kirtadze has a record of 13-5, having been beaten by notable European names like Mate Sanikidze and Tobias Harila in the past.
Having suffered a decision loss in May, he’ll be hoping to regain some momentum by earning the biggest win of his career over a former UFC fighter who showed clear potential inside the Octagon.