Iliatopria is on the cusp of worldwide fame after his first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 last Saturday. In this vacant 155-pound title fight, Topuria achieved more than just becoming the first undefeated two-division champion in UFC history. The 28-year-old fighter, originally from Germany but regarded as a national sports hero in Spain, has now overtaken his new rival, Islamic Makhachev, as the top mixed martial arts fighter on the planet.<\/p>\n
Topuria, a breakout star this year, may be UFC\u2019s new face after decisively defeating the former champion and demonstrating that his striking power carries over into the higher weight class. His performance included overcoming early challenges of forearm strikes and a potentially risky grappling exchange near the fence, ultimately showcasing his superior boxing skills. Known for his precise positioning and devastating hooks, Topuria ends fights with a single, well-placed punch.<\/p>\n
He disclosed that the UFC instructed him not to rush into a fight with Makhachev after claiming the featherweight title. Fans are now eager to see whom Topuria will face next in the UFC as reigning 155-pound titleholders like Justingeche, Ahmanzarkian, and Paddy Pinblett (who had a heated face-off with Topuria) are waiting. Whether or not he becomes the first UFC fighter to claim a title in three weight classes, Topuria\u2019s meteoric rise is reminiscent of Conor McGregor\u2019s breakthrough.<\/p>\n
Topuria is exactly the kind of crossover star UFC fans crave, and currently appears to be the world\u2019s best fighter after impressive wins over elite fighters like Alex Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Oliveira.<\/p>\n
Men\u2019s Pound-for-Pound Rankings:<\/strong><\/p>\n Ilia Topuria – Lightweight Champion (Record: 18-0 | Previous: #2)<\/strong> Islam Makhachev – Lightweight (27-1 | Previous: #1)<\/strong> Merab Dvalishvili – Bantamweight Champion (20-4 | Previous: #3)<\/strong> Alexandre Pantoja – Flyweight Champion (31-5 | Previous: #5)<\/strong> Dricus du Plessis – Middleweight Champion (22-2 | Previous: #4)<\/strong> Alexander Volkanovski – Featherweight Champion (27-4 | Previous: #7)<\/strong> Magomed Ankalaev – Light Heavyweight Champion (20-1-1, 1 NC | Previous: #8)<\/strong> Alex Pereira – Light Heavyweight (12-3 | Previous: #9)<\/strong> Jack Della Maddalena – Welterweight Champion (24-4, 1 NC | Previous: #10)<\/strong> Notables: John Jones dropped out, while contenders like Tom Aspinall, Umar Nurmagomedov, and Shavkat Rakhmonov narrowly missed the list.<\/em><\/p>\n Women\u2019s Pound-for-Pound Rankings:<\/strong><\/p>\n Valentina Shevchenko – Flyweight Champion (24-4-1 | Previous: #1)<\/strong> Zhang Weili – Strawweight Champion (25-3 | Previous: #2)<\/strong> Kayla Harrison – Bantamweight Champion (19-1 | Previous: #3)<\/strong> Manon Philiot – Flyweight (12-2 | Previous: #4)<\/strong> No dropouts on the women\u2019s list; contenders like Virna Jandiroba, Erin Blanchfield, Pena, Alexa Grasso, and Tatiana Suarez just missed the cut.<\/em><\/p>\n Fan Take:<\/strong> Iliatopria is on the cusp of worldwide fame after his first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 last Saturday. In this vacant 155-pound title fight, Topuria achieved more than just becoming the first undefeated two-division champion in UFC history. The 28-year-old fighter, originally from Germany but regarded as a national sports hero in Spain, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10400,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2443],"tags":[2444],"class_list":{"0":"post-10399","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fighting","8":"tag-fighting"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10399","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10399"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10399\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10400"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10399"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
\nAfter knocking out Oliveira at UFC 317 to win the lightweight belt, Topuria is poised to be UFC\u2019s next superstar, known for his technical, explosive boxing skills and undefeated record in two divisions.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\nMakhachev vacated the 155-pound title despite Topuria\u2019s move up. At 33, he aims to bolster his legacy by contending for belts in multiple weight classes and is expected to challenge new welterweight champ Jack Della Maddalena.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\nAt 34, \u201cThe Machine\u201d remains dominant at 135 pounds, recently submitting Sean O\u2019Malley in a UFC 316 rematch, and continues to improve even with injuries.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\nThe 35-year-old Brazilian defended his title for the fourth time at UFC 317, setting records for most wins and submissions in flyweight history. Next up is a bout with rising star Joshua Van.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\nKnown for his aggressive style, the South African champ has defended his 185-pound title and looks forward to a rematch with Sean Strickland and a looming fight with undefeated Khamzat Chimaev.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\nAfter a 14-month break, Volkanovski bounced back from knockout losses to win the 145-pound belt at UFC 314, proving that experience and strategy can beat youth.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\nFrom Dagestan, Russia, Ankalaev won the 205-pound belt in March with a strong technical fight, extending his undefeated streak to 14.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\nThe 37-year-old Brazilian\u2019s reign as 205-pound champ ended in March, but he hopes for an immediate rematch before contemplating a move to heavyweight.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\nAfter a 14-month break, the Australian star captured the 170-pound crown in May, showing superior boxing, footwork, takedown defense, and ground skills.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\nDespite injury setbacks, Chimaev is set for a major showdown in August at UFC 319 in Chicago, aiming to maintain his undefeated UFC run.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\n\n
\nThe future Hall of Famer remains dominant, recently defending her title for the eighth time and is rumored to face Strawweight queen Zhang Weili in a superfight.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\nUndefeated in the UFC at 10-0, Zhang continues her rise while attempting to become a two-division champ, with a superfight against Shevchenko possibly on the horizon.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\nHarrison claimed the 135-pound title at UFC 316 in a tough battle, marking a major milestone as she approaches 37 years old.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\nThe 35-year-old French fighter remains undefeated in the UFC with a strong showing despite recent losses, demonstrating resilience and size advantage.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\nSilva secured a title shot with a recent win over former champ Alexa Grasso, known for her striking speed, feints, and accuracy.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\n
\nIlia Topuria\u2019s ascent signals a thrilling new chapter for MMA, blending technical mastery with knockout power that fans crave. His rise not only reshuffles the lightweight division but also promises exhilarating cross-division matchups that can elevate the sport\u2019s global appeal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"