Ilia Topuria is the new lightweight champion and the latest addition to the UFC double-champ club. Not long after his title-winning performance over Charles Oliveira in the UFC 317 pay-per-view (PPV) main event last weekend in Las Vegas, “El Matador” came face-to-face with lightweight rival Paddy Pimblett.
Seems like “The Baddy” might get first crack at Topuria’s crown.
That said, matchmakers have a couple of options for “El Matador,” including top-ranked lightweight contenders Arman Tsarukyan and Justin Gaethje. No matter who scores the next 155-pound title shot, the bookies at BetOnlne.ag have the 28 year-old Topuria as the monster betting favorite against all three combatants.
Ilia Topuria -500
Paddy Pimblett +385Ilia Topuria -400
Justin Gaethje +330Ilia Topuria -300
Arman Tsarukyan +250
Topuria opened at -350 against Tsarukyan but money quickly dropped on “Ahalkalakets.”
“Fighting against Justin Gaethje, I don’t think that’s gonna be something exciting for the fans,” Topuria told ESPN following UFC 317. “We need new blood in the division. We need new faces that come hungrier than the guys that we are used to seeing in the past.”
In addition, Tsarukyan is still in Dana White’s doghouse, which leaves Pimblett.
“That’s the fight that I want,” Topuria said after UFC 317. “With Paddy, I’m really going to enjoy kicking his ass. Someone told me Dana was a little bit angry about that [face off]. But he wasn’t there, so that [fight] has to happen.”
Topuria (17-0) is expected to make his first lightweight title defense at the end of the year.
