Ilia Topuria made an entrance at RKENA MMA in Georgia on Saturday, Oct. 17. The regional promotion posted video of the moment, and the Championship Rounds account (@ChampRDS) reshared it on X with a fire emoji and nothing else. Neither post said whether Topuria spoke, cornered anyone or simply walked the room. The clip is the whole story right now, and fight fans have been passing it around.
About a day earlier, another clip showed a different side of the same week. Dovy (@DovySimuMMA) shared a video on X of Topuria posing for a photo with a fan who has a tattoo of him. That post didn’t give a location, so I’m not going to pin it to the RKENA show. Still, a guy whose face is permanently inked on a stranger’s body can make a regional card feel like a pay-per-view by showing up.
The backdrop matters. Topuria’s last fight was at UFC White House in June, where Justin Gaethje finished him violently and walked out with the lightweight title, as MMA Fighting has reported. Gaethje doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to defend it. He’s been announced for Barstool Sports’ Internet Invitational golf tournament starting Oct. 26 at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri, and MMA Fighting reports his next defense is expected sometime in 2027. That outlet listed Topuria among the possible challengers, along with Max Holloway and No. 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan, who’s waiting after a first-round knockout of Mauricio Ruffy.
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The lightweight line is crowded. Charles Oliveira, the BMF champion, fights Diego Lopes on Dec. 12 and has his eye on the belt. Over at featherweight, where Topuria made his name, Alexander Volkanovski defends against undefeated Movsar Evloev (20-0) at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 24. Volkanovski also told Who The Fook Are These Guys that he likes the idea of a lightweight super fight with Gaethje in 2027, which would push everyone else further back.
There’s also another name shouting at Topuria. MMA Mania reported this week that Paddy Pimblett is running low on options, and Pimblett put it bluntly: “There’s only Ilia Topuria left, really.” MMA Mania’s own take was that it would be extremely disappointing if the UFC didn’t book that fight.
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My take: I love a star turning up at a small regional show, because the kids on that card will remember who was in the building long after they forget the scorecards. But Topuria is coming off a loss, Gaethje is heading to Missouri with his golf clubs, and Tsarukyan has the better claim at 155. Pimblett is the fight that makes sense for Topuria’s next walkout. If the UFC books it, the entrance he made in Georgia this weekend will look like the start of the build. Volkanovski and Evloev go first, on Oct. 24.
