Ilia Topuria Handed Warning as Superstar Dreams of Achieving Rare UFC Feat

Lightweight champion Ilia Topuria gets a reality check from Jack Della Maddalena's coach ahead of his three-division champion ambitions.

Ilia Topuria Handed Warning as Superstar Dreams of Achieving Rare UFC Feat

Ilia Topuria aims to challenge Jack Della Maddalena (via Athlon Sports, BBC)

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In recent times, the UFC has had an abundance of talent, making it the biggest MMA promotion in the world. Every fighter trains to fight at the highest level and gain championship status. However, there is considerable buzz surrounding fighters aiming for multi-divisional championship status. Such an example is UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria, whom MMA coach Ben Vickers recently warned on moving up.

Vickers is the co-owner of Eternal MMA in Perth, Australia, and is the head coach of UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena. Topuria has been vocal about his ambitions to be the first UFC three-weight champion. However, Vickers recently warned Topuria in an interview with Submission Radio regarding his dream to move up to the 170-pound division to achieve the legendary feat.

He is my height, and I’m a midget. He needs to stay where he is. It will be a very bad decision for him to come up and fight Jack. They’re essentially the same fighters; he’s just a midget, and Jack’s a bit bigger. I love Ilia; he is one of my favorite fighters to watch because I think he fights like Jack. But I don’t think he has any business jumping up two weight classes.

Ben Vickers via Submission Radio

Vickers has trained JDM since the beginning of his career and recognized the welterweight champion fighting for his promotion. He is outspoken in his beliefs and has made headlines multiple times. However, his warning to Topuria about moving up to the welterweight division comes out of respect and admiration for the lightweight champion.

‘El Matador’ has put in the work and is halfway to achieving his dream. He put on a dominant performance in his lightweight debut against Charles Oliveira when he knocked out ‘Do Bronx’ in the main event of UFC 317. Topuria gained the vacant lightweight belt after vacating his featherweight championship in April 2025.

Topuria originally planned to challenge the previous 155-pound champion, Islam Makhachev, in a super fight for lightweight gold. However, Makhachev had similar ambitions and had already vacated his championship to fight Maddalena for the welterweight gold at UFC 322. Due to this, the #2-ranked lightweight, Arman Tsarukyan, has set his sights on challenging the Georgian-Spanish champion.

Arman Tsarukyan believes Ilia Topuria does not stand a chance against Islam Makhachev

Ilia Topuria was outspoken regarding his wish to fight Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title. However, ever since Makhachev’s move to lightweight, Arman Tsarukyan is the only matchup that makes sense for Topuria to defend his lightweight belt. ‘Ahalkalakets’ recently discussed how a fight between the Dagestani star and Topuria would unfold.

Arman Tsarukyan chooses Islam Makhachev to beat Ilia Topuria
Arman Tsarukyan chooses Islam Makhachev to beat Ilia Topuria (via MMA Fighting, UFC)

Tsarukyan had faced Makhachev in his UFC debut back in 2019 and suffered a unanimous decision loss to the Dagestani native. He recently appeared on “The Ariel Helwani Show“, hosted by popular MMA journalist Ariel Helwani. However, when asked about the potential superfight, the Armenian star chose his former opponent to get the best of ‘El Matador’ with ease.

Islam Makhachev by TKO. That’s a different level of fighter. You can’t compare Ilia vs. Islam. He will beat Jack and then beat Ilia and become pound-for-pound No. 1.

Arman Tsarukyan via The Ariel Helwani Show

Tsarukyan believed that Makhachev would beat Maddalena and Ilia Topuria in their respective divisions and regain his top spot in the P4P rankings. However, ‘Ahalkalakets’ wants Makhachev to earn his place back only to snatch it away from him by beating him in a rematch. It remains to be seen how the lightweight saga plays out after UFC 322.

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