Another lightweight overtakes Arman Tsarukyan in the race to fight for the lightweight championship? Well, that might be the case. Since ‘El Matador’ took time off due to his legal battle with his wife, the UFC has decided to keep the division moving without him. Dana White & Co. will hold the interim lightweight title fight at UFC 324, featuring Paddy Pimblett vs. Justin Gaethje. The winner of this fight could decide Topuria’s next opponent. However, a fresh challenger has called out Topuria, who is looking to settle the score.

Throughout his UFC career, Ilia Topuria has built a reputation for frustrating opponents, defeating them one by one, first in the featherweight division and now in the lightweight division, often by knockout. One of his notable victims is BMF champion Max Holloway, who now competes in the same division and will defend his BMF title against Charles Oliveira at UFC 326. Ahead of that fight, Holloway clearly revealed his intentions to fight Topuria again.

Max Holloway refuses to go easy on Ilia Topuria in a potential rematch

“You know, in a perfect world, we’ll go out there, give a hand raise, do it very fashionably, you know, do it like undeniable, make a moment, go get Ilia, have the BMF title on the line, and the undisputed,” Max Holloway told TNT Sports, dashing Tsarukyan’s dream of a title shot once again.

With that said, after UFC 326, Tsarukyan’s chances to fight for the title will further diminish as the division will get yet another contender apart from the interim lightweight title winner at UFC 324. With both Holloway and Oliveira calling for a title shot if they win their UFC 326 fight, Tsarukyan’s path gets more difficult. As it looks, he might have to face the winner of either UFC 324 or UFC 326 main event to get ahead in line.

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Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway first faced each other at UFC 308 in 2024. At that time, ‘El Matador’ had just knocked out Alexander Volkanovski to win the featherweight title, while Holloway had defeated Justin Gaethje for the BMF title in the lightweight division at the historic UFC 300. Back then, in their first encounter, Topuria became the first person to knock out ‘Blessed’.

“I know he was talking about the last one at 45, but, you know, the title wasn’t on the line. You can’t be mad at me—be mad at the UFC. They didn’t, they didn’t allow it. So at the end of the day, it is what it is. If we can do that, we can get it done. It’d be a huge fight.”

During the fight, Holloway held the BMF title, but it wasn’t on the line, while Ilia Topuria carried his own BMF fake belt along with his featherweight belt, adding extra heat to the matchup. The two traded heavy strikes in a fierce war.

“The man who didn’t go buy a copy, you know what I mean? So it is what it is.” Max Holloway continued, clearly addressing Topuria’s intentions in a potential rematch for the BMF belt.

Then, in the third round, the Georgian star landed a crushing right hand that visibly hurt Max Holloway, followed by a left hook at 1:34 of Round 3 to finish the fight. Since then, Holloway has been eager to settle the score with Topuria. Now fully focused on the 155-pound division, he will kick off his revenge crusade by facing Charles Oliveira on March 7.

Holloway looks to relive the UFC 300 moment in a showdown with Topuria

Max Holloway kicked off his permanent run in the lightweight division last year by settling the score with Dustin Poirier. Even with a 2-1 record over Poirier, ‘Blessed’ celebrated defeating the former interim lightweight champion in front of his family and hometown at UFC 318 in New Orleans.

Now, Holloway will face Charles Oliveira in March at UFC 326, aiming to settle the score once again. In their first fight, Max Holloway won, but Oliveira’s injury at the time raised questions about the result. He now prepares to take on Oliveira for the BMF title defense.

Despite that, Holloway keeps his ultimate focus on Ilia Topuria, a goal he emphasized last year when the promotion announced UFC 317 for the vacant lightweight title.

“When they announced Oliveira and Topuria with the title shot, brother, I think I was the happiest man alive,” he continued. “I have history with the two guys. They’re figuring out my fight. I mean, we have this BMF title. I know ol’ boy [Topuria] likes walking around with the BMF title. But if he wants the authentic one, he knows where to find me,” Max Holloway said at UFC 318.

How do you see a clash between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway in the lightweight division for the BMF title playing out? Can Holloway finally get his revenge, or will his granite chin crack again? Share your thoughts below.