Morning Report: Ilia Topuria has 'no doubt' he'll be 'highest-paid athlete in the world' in 2025 (2024)

01/05/2024 14:00

Ilia Topuria has all the confidence in the world.

"El Matador's" supremely talented skillset led him to a seemingly inevitable world title victory when he defeated longtime featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski by second-round knockout in February. As an undefeated 15-0 titleholder, Topuria is still just 27 years old and has quickly become a true MMA superstar.

With the support of Europe behind him, the sky is the limit on Topuria's popularity potential. As he continues to ascend, the featherweight king expects to reap the rewards financially, equating himself to that of football's Cristiano Ronaldo come 2025.

"Look, I can tell you that I have no doubt that in 2025, I will be the highest-paid athlete in the world," Topuria told Webpositer (h/t Championship Rounds). "I'll be there. I'd be surprised if I didn't do it. I have no doubt, really."

Topuria's past claims and predictions have all come true thus far, but he'll, unfortunately, have quite the uphill battle to achieve that goal in MMA. Never say never, I suppose.

Until 2025, Topuria will likely defend his title at least once as the world awaits an expected Max Holloway title tilt. However, the champion still isn't keen on the idea of the matchup without Holloway's newly-earned BMF crown on the line along with his undisputed strap.

"You are the BMF champion, you have the opportunity for the title, to fight for the title," Topuria said. "What are you going to do? Are you going to fight or are you not going to fight? He says, 'Sign the contract,' this, that, such and such. Where are you? Put the title in the game.

"What I said was how I'm not going to fight him if he doesn't put the BMF belt on the line. [Holloway] 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 [on the table]? That is, if you lose, you want to continue being the BMF. How does this work? I mean, what BMF are you?"

Few fights that can be made in the immediate future are as exciting to visualize as Topuria vs. Holloway after both of their recent performances. Should Holloway not get the next crack at gold, an immediate rematch for the previous champion Volkanovski is still something "El Matador" sees as worthwhile.

Aside from Holloway, there's Brian Ortega, who recently returned to the win column with a redemptive third-round arm-triangle choke of Yair Rodrguez at UFC Mexico in February — one week after Topuria claimed gold. Ultimately, Topuria sees the options as simple and easy to sort depending on the BMF title's inclusion.

"If [the BMF belt] is not on the line, the only thing that makes it relevant, I would first give Volkanovski the opportunity for a rematch," Topuria said. "Before that, I would fight Brian Ortega, who was much closer to finishing Volkanovski in one fight than Max did in three.

"[Ortega] always puts his face in there and he fights. He has won his last fight, he has several good victories. Would I like to go ahead against him, of course, I would, because right now it's like who but him?"

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