Ilia Topuria accused of copying Conor McGregor by UFC star doubtful about lightweight move
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UFC lightweight contender Dan Hooker isn’t buying what Ilia Topuria is selling regarding the titleholder’s teased move to the UFC’s 155lb division.
UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria‘s next fight could potentially be at lightweight after the Spaniard teased a move up a division instead of defending his 145lb belt. While he’s since ensured that he won’t vacate the featherweight title in the process, Topuria seems disinterested in facing another top contender after finishing Max Holloway in his first title defense at UFC 308.
Despite teasing a rematch with Alexander Volkanovski immediately after UFC 308, Topuria has pivoted on that assertion, targeting a clash with Charles Oliveira for his lightweight return. As of this writing, the UFC hasn’t announced Topuria and Oliveira’s return bookings after their recent victories.
The UFC matchmakers haven’t given an in-depth response to Topuria’s lightweight requests, but typically, they don’t allow champions to switch weight classes after one title defense. But, Conor McGregor is one of the few exceptions, after he vacated the featherweight title earlier in his career after a full-time move up in weight.
Dan Hooker, Volkanovski’s teammate and a surging lightweight contender, believes Topuria’s planned lightweight move is a calculated decision to keep himself relevant.
Dan Hooker rips into Ilia Topuria over planned lightweight move
In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Dan Hooker gave a less-than-thrilled reaction to Topuria’s targeted lightweight disruption.
“Classic s***. It’s pretty evident that he’s just working off of McGregor’s playbook. Line 1 in McGregor’s playbook is to keep your name in the headlines,” Hooker said of Topuria. “That’s all that I kind of see from it, is Topuria keeping his name in the headlines. The guy doesn’t fight that often, I think he just fights Volk sometime next year, March or April.”
Hooker was then approached with the idea that Topuria doesn’t want to face Volkanovski in a rematch, despite their UFC 308 post-fight faceoff.
“Don’t get in the f***ing cage and agree to fight him then, d***head!” Hooker answered. “You let him get in the cage, had a faceoff with him, and you said you’d fight him. Man to man? That’s that, you’ve already agreed to a fight, and how are you going to back out of it now?”
While Topuria seemed to embrace early comparisons to McGregor, any cordiality between them has fizzled over the last year. Things have quickly escalated between the two brash superstars and dialogue has at times turned threatening.
McGregor was supposed to return at UFC 303 earlier this year against Michael Chandler before withdrawing due to a toe injury. As of this writing, McGregor’s planned UFC return remains a mystery, after Dana White again pushed back a comeback timeframe.
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Ilia Topuria puts featherweight title picture in limbo over lightweight comments
Topuria captured the UFC featherweight title by finishing Volkanovski at UFC 298 earlier this year. He remains undefeated in his professional career after the win over Holloway, earning recent wins over the likes of Josh Emmett and Bryce Mitchell.
Volkanovski wants an immediate title shot for his planned featherweight return, despite the uncertainty regarding Topuria’s title reign. He’s arguably deserving of the nod after a long championship stint that included wins over Brian Ortega, Holloway, and The Korean Zombie.
Topuria seems insistent on a move to lightweight following his first featherweight title defense. But for Hooker, Topuria is making a ploy for relevance, despite his ‘Fighter of the Year’ case in 2024.
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