Ilia Topuria‘s decision to go up to lightweight has put the featherweight division in a state of uncertainty. After months of anticipation for a potential rematch, Topuria’s unexpected exit forced Alexander Volkanovski to seek a different road to recapture gold. The former featherweight champion, who lost his only fight at featherweight to Topuria at UFC 298, had expressed a desire for a rematch. But with the Georgian-Spaniard out of the picture, the UFC had no choice but to press forward, scheduling ‘The Great’ against Diego Lopes at UFC 314 instead. But Volk did provide a major update that would pique the interest of ‘El Matador.’

Speaking with ESPN, the Australian star made it clear that his path is far from done, stating, “I’m over losses. I’m going to get them back. I’m going to get the belt back; I’m going to defend, and that’s just going to add to my legacy, add to the story.” Despite losing the opportunity for an immediate rematch, ‘The Great’ is not focusing on what could have been. Instead, he sees this as another obstacle on his path back to the top. Volkanovski also hopes to settle matters with ‘El Matador’ in the future, saying, “Even that [Topuria rematch], maybe we can get a rematch further down the track. Maybe it’s all meant to be.”

Volkanovski’s upcoming bout with Lopes will be critical in determining his future move. A win would not only re-establish him as a champion, but it would also give him new opportunities—one of them would be avenging his 145 lb loss. If he dominates Lopes, the UFC may consider pushing for a fight that compels Topuria to reconsider his move to lightweight. After all, ‘The Great’ remains one of the division’s biggest stars, and a ‘great’ performance at UFC 314 might keep the rematch debate going. On the other hand, a loss would complicate matters, possibly delaying his return to the top and forcing him to reconsider his future at 145 pounds.

With UFC 314 just around the horizon, Alexander Volkanovski has a golden opportunity to show the world why he was regarded as one of the finest featherweights of all time. Meanwhile, many are excited to see what ‘El Matador’ can bring to the table at 155 lbs. Still, that hasn’t stopped his detractors from accusing him of running away from the division without defending his belt. His longtime rival has shared some scathing words for the Spanish-Georgian’s decision to not face ‘The Great’ in a rematch.

Former rival criticizes Ilia Topuria for running away from Alexander Volkavoski

Paddy Pimblett, one of Ilia Topuria‘s biggest rivals, has strongly criticized his choice to leave the featherweight division. While ‘El Matador’ maintains his switch to lightweight is due to weight-loss difficulties, Pimblett remains skeptical. The Liverpool native, who has a long-standing grudge against the Spanish-Georgian star, feels Topuria is avoiding stronger competition at 145 pounds. According to ‘The Baddy,’ Topuria avoided a rematch with Alexander Volkanovski because he knew a fully recovered Volkanovski would be a far more difficult opponent than he faced at UFC 298.

“He’s running away from Volk,” Pimblett told Sportsnet’s Aaron Bronsteter. “If he catches Volk with that punch, and it’s not 12 weeks after he’s just been head-kicked and ground-and-pounded by Islam [Makhachev], it doesn’t knock him out.” Paddy Pimblett went on to say that ‘The Great’ was actually leading the fight prior to getting knocked out and that Topuria took advantage of a vulnerable opponent. He also noted that ‘El Matador’ still had plenty of worthy featherweight rivals in the bleachers waiting to fight him; notably Movsar Evloev and Diego Lopes, but he chose to vacate rather than defend his title.

‘The Baddy’ believes the Spanish-Georgian’s move is more about chasing popularity than proving himself as a dominant champion. “If he would’ve done three defenses, he wouldn’t have had to vacate his belt. He would’ve just moved up and forth with him, tried to be double-champ, tried to copy his idol, Conor McGregor… copied his tattoos and all that. The little sausage,” Pimblett said.

With Ilia Topuria officially entering the lightweight category, a fight with Paddy Pimblett appears more likely than ever. If ‘El Matador’ does not receive an instant title shot against Islam Makhachev, Pimblett would gladly welcome him to 155, where a grudge fight has been building for years. What do you think? Do you believe Topuria actually ran away? Let us know in the comments.