Should Ilia Topuria Get the Winner of Volkanovski and Rodriguez?

Topuria Shines on ABC

The number 9 ranked featherweight- Topuria dominated the number 5 ranked- Emmett for all five rounds of the contest (looking at you Eric Colon), Emmett didn’t win a round in most pundits’ opinion. Topuria had a fantastic performance. Anywhere the fight went, Topuria had the advantage and executed beautifully with footwork, feints, pulls, clean defense, combinations, counters, takedowns, cage and ground control, etc. Words can’t do his performance justice with just how technical, confident, and precise Topuria looked this weekend, if you missed out on watching it, I highly recommend you go and check it out.

There were questions if Topuria could hang with the Featherweight elite in a five-round fight as this was Topuria’s first UFC five-round fight and main event coming into the bout. Topuria put those questions to bed as across the five rounds, Topuria out-landed Emmett 152-87 in significant strikes. The fifth round was the only round in which Emmett outstruck Topuria in significant strikes (10 to 8) but Topuria showed a champion’s mindset and displayed maturity in the octagon by going three for three on all of his takedown attempts which came in the fifth round to negate the pressure and desperation of Emmett going for broke.

This was Topuria’s first-ever time in his professional career to go five rounds, and he looked comfortable like he had gone five rounds multiple times already in his pro career, it was simply outstanding. Topuria climbed to 14-0 and 6-0 in the UFC and Emmett fell to 18-4 and 9-4 in the UFC.

Topuria Should Face Volkanovski If Volk Defeats Rodriguez

Alexander Volkanovski defends his Featherweight title against Interim Champ- Yair Rodriguez on July 8th at UFC 290. Whoever wins that fight surely needs to keep their eyes on undefeated- Topuria. In my humble opinion, they should prepare to face Topuria very soon.

The thought of a Featherweight title fight between pound-for-pound great Alex Volkanovski and undefeated Ilia Topuria is riveting. pic.twitter.com/prGqqwBHCx

— MMA History Today (@MMAHistoryToday) June 24, 2023

Let me explain, Rodriguez just defeated Emmett via. second-round submission at UFC 284 in February earlier this year to win the Interim Featherweight title and claim his spot as next for Volkanovski’s undisputed title, well, Topuria just did the same and did it just as impressively as Rodriguez did.

We’d assume Topuria is going to take Emmett’s ranking of fifth so that leaves above him Arnold Allen at four, Brian Ortega at three, Max Holloway at two, then Rodriguez and Volkanovski. Allen is coming off of a loss to Holloway back in April. Ortega is coming off of two back-to-back losses to Volkanovski and Rodriguez, although the loss to Rodriguez was due to an injury, he’s still left without a fight rehabbing from the shoulder injury in his bout with Rodriguez nearly a year ago. Lastly, Holloway is scheduled to fight “The Korean Zombie” in late August. That leaves Topuria, now let me preface this by saying should Rodriguez win against Volkanovski next month, then all bets are off as they will likely have an immediate rematch.

Ilia Topuria believes he's "next in line" for a title shot and only a fight against Max Holloway in Spain could entice him not to wait 👀 #UFCJacksonville pic.twitter.com/4eUzXHuLfn

— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) June 24, 2023

Honestly, I don’t have a problem either way, if the UFC wants to do Topuria vs. Allen or Topuria vs. Ortega, or even Topuria vs. Holloway in Spain, sign me up, those are both fantastic matchups. It’s just that if Volk defeats Rodriguez, who can he face next, he’s already defeated both Ortega and Holloway (three times), and Allen is coming off a loss. Topuria may be only 26 years old with only 14 fights, but after his dominant showing against Emmett, it seems he’s ready for that next level.

Ilia Topuria just utterly dominated Josh Emmett for 5 rounds.

Give this man a title shot #ufc

— Weasle (@ThaWeasle) June 24, 2023