Now-former undisputed featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria is targeting a massive — long-mooted matchup for his lightweight divisional bow later this year, with reports claiming a pairing with pound-for-pound number one, Islam Makhachev is being floated for UFC 317 later this summer during International Fight Week.
Topuria, who most recently featured at UFC 308 last October, is set to vacate his undisputed featherweight champion with a view to a lightweight division move — with former-foe, Alexander Volkanovski set to take on the surging Brazilian star, Diego Lopes for the newly-vacated belt.
As for Makhachev, the current undisputed lightweight kingpin headlined UFC 311 back in January, turning in a dominant opening round D’Arce choke submission win over short-notice replacement, Renato Moicano on just a days’ notice in California.