Ilia Topuria v Brian Ortega is the fight UFC have to make next

Highlights

• Ilia Topuria’s knockout of Alexander Volkanovski has led to talks of the UFC going to Spain for the first time.
• Brian Ortega’s impressive win over Yair Rodriguez, meanwhile, has put him in line for a title shot against Topuria.
• A Topuria vs Ortega fight in 2024 would be a compelling stylistic battle for the featherweight division.

Alexander Volkanovski held the UFC’s featherweight title for over four years in what is considered one of the greatest championship reigns of all time. Volk was starting to test deeper waters when he challenged for a second belt against UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. But, after losing to the dangerous Dagestani for a second time, the Australian made a quick turnaround at UFC 298 against the heavy-handed Ilia Topuria. The challenger was able to beat the longtime champ to now sit atop the featherweight division’s throne, but don’t look now, the latest 145-pound contender has emerged this past weekend.

After returning from a long and strenuous layoff riddled with surgeries and rehab, two-time UFC featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega has put himself in a great position to challenge for the belt after his spectacular performance against the dynamic Yair Rodriguez. The fight was an instant classic, which has made the UFC’s job of potentially promoting a Topuria-Ortega fight that much easier. Let’s take a look at what the fight between the power-punching Spaniard and the jiu-jitsu ace could look like and why it is the right fight at the right time for the division.

Ilia Topuria’s rise through the ranks

MMA record: 15-0 (5 KOs, 8 SUBs), UFC wins: 7, best win: Alexander Volkanovski

Quietly mowing down the competition, Spain’s Ilia Topuria is one of the biggest punchers the division has ever seen. Flatlining opponent after opponent, Topuria is more surgical in his approach to fighting than his brutal outcomes might lead us to believe. With a lengthy grappling background from an early age, the Georgian-born fighter barely uses his wrestling and jiu-jitsu skills as he is blessed with Thor’s hammer for a right hand. Topuria is very methodical with his striking. He will corner his prey before he unloads on them. Several times Topuria has folded his opponents when he makes contact with his lethal right hook.

Leading up to his UFC 298 title challenge against Volkanovski, it was unknown how the talented Topuria would do in such a high-pressure situation, but after knocking out the featherweight king to claim the featherweight crown, he put all doubt to bed. His patience and timing led to one of the most jaw-crunching knockouts we’ve ever seen. Topuria barely broke a sweat and has now earned the leverage to lead the UFC into Spain in the near-future.

Brian Ortega’s multiple title shots

The Los Angeles fighter has fought the sport’s best

“T-City”, a very reserved fighter who is anything but reserved when he steps into the UFC’s Octagon, has earned multiple title shots against all-time greats Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski. An ever-evolving martial artist, Ortega has shown big leaps in maturity and skill level from each of his title fights. Back in 2018, when Ortega challenged Holloway, it was a brutal boxing match that had Holloway dishing out a signature beating.

Fast-forward to 2021, and Ortega earns another big fight and a chance to wear UFC gold, this time against the great Volkanovski. Ortega would not be bullied or stopped in this title fight, but the Cali native missed a huge opportunity when he couldn’t finish a mounted guillotine choke. Volkanovski survived the attack and marched forward to continue to score, largely in striking output numbers.

Brian Ortega v Yair Rodriguez 2

The UFC returned to Mexico with an action-packed card

In 2022, the UFC pitted Ortega against Rodriguez, but the fight ended with a freak injury as the former would clinch his shoulder in agony as Rodriguez was rewarded the victory by default. 19 months and three surgeries later, Ortega finally returned to the Octagon against a familiar foe. His rematch against Yair “Pantera” Rodriguez in Mexico City was a five-round co-main event fight to determine who would be next to challenge Topuria for the belt.

Ortega would deal with even more adversity before the fight as he twisted his ankle during Bruce Buffers’ intro, followed by getting swarmed by Rodriguez for most of the first round. Ortega could’ve called it quits, but he dug deep and pulled the win out of the fire by quickly turning the tables around in the second round, and then finding a skillful submission finish in the third. Though he was on his opponents’ home turf, the Mexican crowd showed a lot of love and respect to the American, which speaks to Ortega’s heart and fighting style. His win this past weekend has guaranteed that he’ll be in heavy talks to challenge for the belt for an unprecedented third time.

Ilia Topuria v Brian Ortega

This clash of styles will be an epic main event in Spain in 2024

The minute Ilia Topuria KO’d Volkanovski, talks to bring the UFC to Spain for the country’s inaugural UFC event started circulating. While Dana White hasn’t confirmed the future event’s status, he and his team are flirting with the idea after the birth of their latest star. The next question is, who will Topuria face next? With Volkanovski coming off back-to-back knockout losses and with Holloway moving up weight classes to face Justin Gaethje in what will likely be a five-round war, that only leaves Brian Ortega as the rightful choice. After an impressive win over Rodriguez, the UFC would be wise to capitalise on Ortega’s star power by putting him – once again – in a position to challenge for a world title.

The fight itself would be martial arts at its purest. Topuria has grappling in his back pocket, but leans heavily on his striking and his equalising right hand. While Ortega is competent on the feet, his bread gets buttered by his elite submission grappling skills. Considered a phenom on the floor, if he were to get the Spaniard on the ground, we could see the belt changing hands. Topuria would likely stay on the outside of the pocket at jab range to not allow himself to get entangled by the slick grappler. After a feeling out process, the knockout artist would close the distance not out of desperation, but when he feels comfortable enough.

This fight will likely be held in the second half of 2024, but when it does finally happen, it will be one of the most intriguing stylistic battles of the year! It would mark the first UFC event in Spain and new marketing opportunities for the world’s leading combat sports organisation.