Topuria Takes No. 1 Spot on UFC’s Fighter Ranking List
Posted on: July 1, 2025, 09:04h.
Last updated on: July 1, 2025, 09:04h.
- Topuria has his eyes on Pimblett after Oliveira knockout at UFC 317
- Sportsbooks hope for Topuria-Pimblett lightweight bout
- Topuria-Makhachev fight not likely at this point
We all woke up this morning to see that UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria is now the men’s pound-for-pound top ranked fighter after his stunning knockout win over Charles Oliveira Saturday night in Las Vegas.
No. 1 Ranked in UFC
No surprise there. Now online chatter has moved to the enticing scenario of a fight between Topuria and Islam Makhachev, the No. 2 ranked UFC fighter, who vacated his lightweight belt to go fight welterweight. We don’t know when Makhachev’s next fight is yet.
But a Topuria-Makhachev fight would break PPV records, that’s for certain. It’s wishful thinking though. The short-term future for the UFC involves figuring out Topuria’s next lightweight challenger.
Topuria-Pimblett Fight Next?
Sportsbooks are salivating at the potential of a Topuria-Paddy Pimblett fight. Pimblett is ranked No. 10 in the UFC’s lightweight division, and the native of Huyton, UK, is adept at branding himself almost as much as he is at mixed martial arts. Today he ripped Oliveira for his performance Saturday night – a devastating right hand that floored the Brazilian at 2:27 of Round 1.
With the belt over his shoulder after dispatching Oliveira on Saturday, Topuria found himself face-to-face with Pimblett in the Octagon. Pimblett has on numerous occasions expressed his hatred for the Spaniard. The two had words and Topuria shoved Pimblett, setting off a tsunami of social media chatter and buzz.
UFC President and CEO Dana White told reporters later said he didn’t know Pimblett was in the Octagon and wasn’t too pleased about it.
Topuria said after the Oliveira fight he wants to fight Pimblett.
“Charles is an amazing human being,” he said. “With Paddy, I am really going to enjoy kicking his ass.”
Big Betting Numbers
A Paddy-Topuria fight would be massive. Our Paddy numbers have steadily increased every time he’s fought,” said Mark Collier, a trader with BetVictor. “His numbers were decent when with Cage Warriors but since UFC, his rise has positively impacted the betting.
“If Pimblett does get Topuria then it’s the international draw/appeal with the venue very well being Anfield (Liverpool) or the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium (Madrid). During the McGregor years, we got ridiculous numbers however Conor never got his wish of fighting at Croke Park9in Dublin) but there’s no reason why the potential Pimblett/Topuria fight couldn’t go one better and get the desired European stadium.
Pimblett: Hatred for Topuria
“Topuria would be the favourite to beat Paddy the Baddy but even the most negative fan of UFC couldn’t fully dismiss the scousers chances in beating him.”
There’s no debating the UFC has the biggest star on its hands since Conor McGregor in Topuria. That’s three major wins in a row for him – all against “major stars”, as White said. Pimblett or Justin Gaethje are good bets for Topuria’s next fight. DraftKings adjusted their UFC futures – who will be the lightweight champion on Dec. 31 2026, with Topuria at -200, followed by Pimblett at +300.
Pimblett told ESPN: “We’ve got history. You don’t even need to sell that fight — that fight sells itself. Two people who genuinely dislike each other — we haven’t seen that since Khabib–McGregor. I hate him. I wouldn’t even want to finish him fast. I’d want to finish him with a minute left in the fight after I’ve elbowed him 700 times. I want to disfigure him.”
Avello: Pimblett-Topuria Would Be Big
Johnny Avello, DraftKings’ Director of Sports Operations, said he’s certainly looking forward to the fight, if it happens.
UFC continues to grow in popularity, and the betting interest is always present with a good fight on the card. When you’ve got two fan favorites like Pimblett and Topuria, with Topuria in particular really dominating, you can expect plenty of excitement—and plenty of betting action.”
Topuria was asked by ESPN about the possibility of a Makhachev fight: “Realistically, from all the conversations I had with the UFC, I don’t think that that fight is going to happen. I will be surprised if I get the call and they’re going to tell me, I want you to fight against Islam, which I would love to do it, no problem. This is competition. I’m not going to lose my life inside that octagon. So I’m ready for whoever. I know I am very dangerous. I will be here as always.”
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