Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has an idea for how Ilia Topuria can earn a shot at two-division glory.
Topuria is set to embark on a new pursuit of gold this year after choosing to vacate the featherweight title after just one defense.
While a rematch with the man from whom he took the gold last February, Alexander Volkanovski, was expected to await him following a knockout of Max Holloway, a desire to bid farewell to the grueling weight cut has resulted in Topuria committing to a permanent move up.
By all accounts, the Spaniard is hoping to immediately challenge the lightweight reign of Islam Makhachev. But recent speculation has suggested the Dagestani is looking to have “El Matador” fight a contender first.
Should that sentiment be shared by the UFC, Usman named a potential foe for Topuria’s first clash back at 155 pounds during a recent episode of his Pound 4 Pound podcast alongside Henry Cejudo.
“Ilia Topuria, Mateusz Gamrot,” Usman said before justifying himself following Cejudo’s disapproval. “Hey, hey, hey, hey. The one thing we really don’t see often is Ilia Topuria on his back.”
It didn’t take long for Gamrot to co-sign Usman’s suggestion, backing the potential matchup in a post on X.
“Gamer,” who currently occupies the #8 ranking at 155 pounds, hasn’t fought since a narrow split decision loss to Dan Hooker in Perth last August. That result snapped a three-fight winning streak for the Polish standout.
