#12-ranked featherweight and UFC veteran Edson Barboza does not believe Ilia Topuria will hold on to his featherweight title for long. Barboza said this after the Spanish fighter was crowned UFC featherweight champion at UFC 298. The fight saw Topuira faceoff against UFC veteran Alexander Volkanovski and defeat the ex-champion following a knockout in round two.
Following his weekend return to face Lerone Murphy, Barboza elaborated on his belief that Topuira, despite being a good fighter, is yet to face high-level competition. He suggests this might pose a challenge for Topuira in retaining his championship title. Barboza’s analysis adds an intriguing layer to the future of the featherweight division.
“His last fight against Volkanovski proved he’s one of the best in the world, he’s the champ. I believe he’s good, and the division has a lot of tough guys. You see, all the top 15 have a really, really high-level fighters, definitely one of the best divisions in the UFC.”
Topuria is set to battle the previous two title holders- a rematch with Volkanovski and a bout with BMF champion Max Holloway. Hopefully, he debunks Barboza’s claims and comes out on top.
