‘Dream chaser’ Ilia Topuria reacts to rare UFC 317 ‘double champ’ opportunity – ‘It’s unfortunate Makhachev ran away’

Duck?

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria will chase “double champ” status next month (Sat., June 28, 2025), facing former Lightweight kingpin Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“La Leyenda” shared his excitement on social media, addressing both the upcoming fight and a missed blockbuster bout.

“On June 28, another dream will come true,” Topuria wrote. “I’ll be the champion of the Lightweight division. Charles, my apologies in advance… I’m just fighting for my dreams. It’s unfortunate that Makhachev ran away. 17-0.”

Topuria vs. Oliveira promises explosive action in “Sin City,” but the anticipated mega-fight between Topuria and Islam Makhachev is on hold, possibly indefinitely, as Makhachev shifts his focus to becoming Welterweight champion later this year.

However, should Topuria and Makhachev become the tenth and eleventh dual-division champions, a future clash between them could rank among the biggest fights in UFC history.

For now, Topuria has “Do Bronx,” the fighter with the most finishes in UFC history, in front of him, and Makhachev has new champion Jack Della Maddalena, who just battered a fellow grappler.

Fun times are ahead.

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