Morning Report: Ilia Topuria claims UFC has promised lightweight title fight

Ilia Topuria is trusting Dana White and the UFC.

The featherweight champion is about to maneuver as much as the 155-pound division (and formally vacate his belt with Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes set to combat for it within the UFC 134 essential occasion on April 12), although he’s but to obtain official phrase if he will likely be combating light-weight champion Islam Makhachev or one other contender to earn that chance.

Topuria spoke to media following a Manner of Warrior occasion in Madrid, Spain, on Saturday, and he assured his supporters that it doesn’t matter what, the UFC has assured his subsequent combat will likely be for the light-weight title.

“I’m not solely positive what my subsequent combat will likely be,” Topuria mentioned in Spanish (h/t MMA Marca, translation by way of Championship Rounds). “The one factor I’m positive of is that the UFC’s phrase is that my subsequent combat will likely be for the world title. That’s all I do know. Afterwards, if it’s going to be Islam, if it’s going to be Charles, I do not know.”

“The belt will likely be on the road,” he added. “Will probably be on the road. That was the promise for leaving my title vacant. They’ve all the time saved their guarantees.”

Topuria didn’t insist Makhachev must be the one to face him; moderately, both Makhachev defends his title in opposition to “La Leyenda,” or Makhachev makes an oft-discussed transfer as much as 170 kilos in order that Topuria and one other contender can compete for a vacant light-weight belt.

That different contender could possibly be Charles Oliveira, who Topuria has beforehand expressed curiosity in combating, sparking a verbal beef between the 2. Nevertheless, Oliveira just lately dismissed Topuria, saying he’s not “an enormous combat,” which drew a pointy response from Topuria, who questioned Oliveira’s accolades.

“I haven’t dissed [Oliveira], I’ve informed the reality,” Topuria mentioned. “He has 10 losses. I haven’t mentioned anything. He has 10 losses. 5 by knockout, 4 by submission, one by resolution. He says [lightweight] is the hardest division there may be. When he was combating at 145, even Cub Swanson beat him up. That’s the place the dialog ends.

“One thing he couldn’t obtain at 145 kilos, he did at 155, the place he turned champion. So why is that division harder than the one I come from? I don’t discover any logic in it. And that’s why I mentioned it looks like he hasn’t learn a single web page of a newspaper. So if that’s disrespectful, I don’t know since when telling the reality is disrespectful.”

Outcomes. Brandon Moreno out-points Steve Erceg to win UFC Mexico main event.

Outcomes 2. Naoki Inoue outstrikes Yuki Motoya, survives late scare to defend title.

4th. Brandon Moreno gunning for 4th Alexandre Pantoja combat to headline UFC 320 in Mexico: ‘I think it’s perfect.’

Signing. Kyoji Horiguchi signs with UFC, vacates RIZIN title.

Response. Manuel Torres reacts to criticism of referee stoppage over Drew Dober knockout.

Beef. Jorge Masvidal calls out Leon Edwards to lastly settle their beef: ‘I’ll come off the couch and whoop your ass.’

Rematch. Chael Sonnen thinks Alex Pereira shouldn’t rematch Magomed Ankalaev: ‘It really was not overly competitive.’

UFC Mexico Submit Present.

UFC Mexico put up combat presser.

Brandon Moreno post-fight interview.

Each knockout from UFC Mexico.

One of many best performances in MMA historical past.

Forrest Griffin interview.

On To the Subsequent One. MMA Combating’s Mike Heck and Alexander Okay. Lee determine what’s subsequent for two-time flyweight champion Brandon Moreno after a stable win over Steve Erceg at UFC Mexico, plus matchup picks for the remainder of the cardboard’s huge winners.

Respect.

Manel Kape throwing shade at Brandon Moreno.

Hey. Cease lacking weight!

Timber.

Ignacio Bahamondes’ subsequent opponent higher watch the F out.

Positive.

Mike Malott’s brother getting right into a combat within the NHL.

UFC Mexico was a great time. I do know some persons are break up on the leisure issue of the primary occasion however I believed it was an pleasing scrap, capping off a really stable evening of fights. Undecided we’ll be capable of say the identical factor this upcoming Saturday. I suppose we’ll see.

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