UFC President Dana White and featherweight standout Ilia Topuria appear to be aligned regarding plans for UFC 317.
Recently, Topuria stated on the Spanish program El Hormiguero that he anticipates his next bout will be against either the lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, or top contender Charles Oliveira.
Topuria`s future opponent seems linked to the outcome of the UFC 315 main event. This card features Makhachev`s close associate, Belal Muhammad, defending his welterweight title against Jack Della Maddalena. An upset victory for Della Maddalena could prompt Makhachev to move up to 170 pounds for a title challenge. If Muhammad wins, Makhachev is more likely to defend his lightweight belt, potentially against Topuria, who recently relinquished his featherweight title to pursue a second divisional championship.
When questioned about Topuria`s comments at a press conference in Montreal, UFC CEO Dana White corroborated the plan. He confirmed that “El Matador” is indeed expected to face either Makhachev or Oliveira at UFC 317, scheduled for June 28 in Las Vegas.
“Yeah, there’s a lot of moving parts right now and yeah, that’s pretty accurate,” White commented, without providing further details. This leaves the status of a potential Topuria vs. Oliveira fight in Makhachev`s absence uncertain regarding whether it would be for an interim or vacant lightweight title.
These recent statements from White and Topuria are consistent with their previous remarks. White mentioned in February that Makhachev wasn`t a guaranteed first opponent for Topuria`s move to 155 pounds, and Topuria claimed in March that while the UFC promised him a title shot, the opponent was undecided.
Consequently, attention is now firmly on Saturday`s main event, as the result of the Muhammad versus Della Maddalena clash is set to create significant ripple effects across multiple weight classes.
