UFC Champ Ilia Topuria Snuffs Max Holloway, Demands BMF Belt & Names Next Fight

Ilia Topuria would rather face Brian Ortega for his first featherweight title defense than Max Holloway.

Alexander Volkanovski's reign is over, and many thought Holloway's title chances improved with his current three-fight streak, including a 'KO of the century' over then-#2 lightweight Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. 'El Matador' has other plans, naming Ortega as his preferred fight; His reasoning? Holloway won't put the BMF title on the line.

"You [Holloway] are the BMF champion," Topuria told Webpositer on April 30. "You have the opportunity for the title. .... Put the [BMF] belt in the game. What I said was how I'm not going to fight him if he doesn't put the BMF title on the line, and Max was like, 'That's not the way a real BMF claims the title'. You want me to come and put this belt on the table, and you don't want to put yours [down]?"

Topuria named other contenders he could fight if Holloway declines the condition:

"I would first give Volkanovski the rematch," Topuria explained. "Before that I would fight Brian Ortega, who was much closer to finishing Volkanovski in one fight than Max did in three."

"Let's get a fight in Spain," Ortega told Overdogs on April 25. "Let's get a fight in Spain, man, I'm not against it, and if I could snap my fingers and get the contract and he[ Topuria] says yes and Volkanovski doesn't take that fight - because I know he's waiting there. If he says no to them trying to rush him to fight, the UFC's got a man right here and I'm sharp and I'm ready."

Ortega might just be in luck, as according to UFC commentator Joe Rogan, Topuria turned down a Volkanovski rematch for UFC 305:

"I don't know who he [Topuria] wants to fight next," Rogan revealed on his podcast. "But I guess he feels like he's the champ, he can call the shots. I know that he turned down the Perth one, 305, the Volkanovski rematch."

Despite all the talk surrounding Topuria's next fight, his title reign is still young (three months at the time of writing). 'El Matador' is picking his shots now he has the leverage with the belt, and fans will have to wait and see if he makes a crowd-pleasing decision.