Ahead of UFC 317, Ilia Topuria Set To Overtake Jon Jones And Join Conor McGregor And Ronda Rousey In Statistical Category

Ilia Topuria is on track as just the 5th UFC fighter to surpass 10 million IG fans, surpassing Jon Jones, and behind superstar Conor McGregor.

Ahead of UFC 317, Ilia Topuria Set To Overtake Jon Jones And Join Conor McGregor And Ronda Rousey In Statistical Category

Not Jon Jones or Conor McGregor. Ilia Topuria paves way to push his star status (Source: X/IMAGO)

Without a shred of doubt, Ilia Topuria is one of the biggest PPV draws at the moment. This Saturday’s title challenger for the PPV main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, ‘El Matador,’ is fresh off a stellar featherweight run and back-to-back KOs over top names.

If not on a skill-to-skill level or as a PPV buyout king, many at least consider him levels apart from those like Conor McGregor and Jon Jones, with an unprecedented surge in fame. Now, he can stretch on that after UFC 317.

The ever cocky Ilia Topuria did everything right in the lead-up to relinquishing his UFC 145-pound crown. He even made the case for a Euro Striker vs. Dagestani warfare, much like Conor McGregor once did. That is, until longtime reigning 155-pound kingpin Islam Makhachev was told to bail out to make space for a welterweight move.

The Spniard always makes the conversation about him and chases gold with a tight resolve. Even though he doesn’t make it easy with a contentious run, off his resume, Jon Jones packed historic title fight stats and battle IQ. However, skill-wise, after his performance at the UFC 308 PPV headliner, T.J. Dillashaw once boldly touted then-No.4-ranked P4P fighter Topuria better than Jones due to his crispness.

Not to toot the same horn for years, but Topuria has been a brand reckoning. A Forbes España ’30 Under 30′ A-lister right after Money Mac, Topuria had nations rallying behind him, got media ovations at national platforms like Webpositer’s Podcast, the RadiogacetaRNE Sports Radio Gazette, and was on tap for UFC Spain at Santiago Bernabéu. This weekend, Topuria can also become the first-ever in UFC competition history to bag two-weight undisputed crown on undefeated stats (16-0).

However, days removed from the UFC 317 PPV main event, these are not what Topuria is boasting as a statistical point. With some big-name opponents cashing in, this weekend alone, Topuria has surpassed 9.5 million IG followers, with Jon Jones’ following (9.4 million) trailing behind!

He will soon be the fifth UFC combatant to exceed 10 million, joining the exclusive ranks of Conor McGregor (46.4 million), Ronda Rousey (17.1 million), Khabib Nurmagomedov (39.6 million), and Islam Makhachev (10.4 million). Come this weekend, such infamy can increase even more.

Ilia Topuria could match Conor McGregor’s feat of holding two weight-class belts after UFC 317 PPV

Ex-UFC HW Jon Jones is a different case. But Topuria vs. Conor McGregor comparisons have always been the way to go with their skill-to-skill similarities, inks, Euro background, surge of fame, and so much more. However, more recently, the Spaniard has sapped and psyched out ‘Notorious’ as someone to look out to. The dwindling UFC superstar has not been in an active ballot fight since his 2021 TKO leg break and seemingly never will, anytime soon.

Ilia Topuria on track to match Conor McGregor with two weight-class straps
Ilia Topuria on track to match Conor McGregor with two weight-class straps (Source: X)

If Ilia Topuria can defy expectation at the PPV main event this weekend against #2 lightweight Charles Oliveira, he can do more than just bag the vacant UFC 155-pound gold; he can be a two-weight champ. The UFC Featherweight and Lightweight titles have only been held by the Irishman, who snapped Eddie Alvarez for a double champ status at UFC 205.

Nevertheless, McGregor’s achievements were marginally more remarkable, as he concurrently held both the UFC Featherweight and Lightweight hardware. He relinquished the 145-pound crown without defending it due to inactivity. This makes his status as a double champion similar to Topuria’s, who in all functionality and purpose, vacated the belt earlier, after a maiden defense.

Per Draftkings and FanDuel Sportsbooks, Topuria has propped as a modest -345 favorite on the money line to dominate over Oliveira. He touts a one-of-one double KO title reign after all, which pushed his momentum. Come this Saturday at UFC 317, he will push just a bit further.

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