Ilia Topuria would be quite pleased if he can secure a welterweight title fight after UFC Freedom 250.

Topuria will first need to take care of business on June 14. The lightweight titleholder is scheduled to face interim champion Justin Gaethje on the White House lawn. “El Matador” captured the 155-pound gold with a first-round knockout win over Charles Oliveira back in June 2025, but he went on a brief hiatus, which opened the door for Gaethje’s interim title win over Paddy Pimblett.

If Topuria emerges victorious in the UFC Freedom 250 headliner, he’ll hope to move on to even bigger things. Speaking to Megan Olivi in an official UFC interview, Topuria said a showdown with Islam Makhachev for the welterweight title will be his next goal (via MMAJunkie).

“Always, always,” Topuria said. “I want to connect the third belt. Everyone knows that. After this fight, if the UFC wants to give me the opportunity to move up to the welterweight division and fight against the current champion, Islam Makhachev, I’ll be very happy. Why not? If you don’t take risks, there is no champagne.”

Makhachev hasn’t competed since winning the 170-pound hardware back in Nov. 2025. He has been teasing that his next fight will come to fruition soon. Top contenders Ian Machado Garry and Michael Morales are two names that many believe are the most likely challengers for Makhachev’s first welterweight title defense.

Topuria is a sizable betting favorite going into the UFC Freedom 250 event. Keep it locked on BJPenn.com as we get closer to fight week. We’ll be bringing you the latest updates leading up to the historic event on June 14. Of course, we’ll be providing live coverage of UFC Freedom 250 on fight night.

If Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev earn wins in their next bouts, should the super fight between the two be booked? Join in on the conversation in the comments below.