Ilia Topuria steps into the octagon with title ambitions – but also with dreams that extend beyond MMA, with a dream of taking on Canelo Alvarez, but the great Mexican is simply not interested as he quashes that wish.
The Georgian-Spanish fighter, who headlines the event against Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 recently reignited his interest in crossing into boxing with a bold public challenge to Saul, who hails from Guadalajara.
“I would love to fight Canelo,” Topuria said in Februrary 2024, before taking on Alex Volkanovski. “If we talk about boxing and who I would like to face, I aim towards the best and the best right now is Canelo.
“I would love to try myself with Canelo, it would be something great and everything can happen and everything is going to happen, it’s just a matter of time.”
It was particularly interesting because it’s believed Topuria has modelled his fighting style on Alvarez, who he claims he has much admiration for – despite their different disciplines.
But the boxing icon, currently the undisputed super middleweight champion, has made it clear his focus is elsewhere as he prepares for a mouth-watering clash with Terence Crawford.
First of all, I’ve never seen him fight a full fight,” Canelo said in Las Vegas, responding to talk of the bout. “Like a complete fight.
“I have a lot of gratitude for fighters that take a little bit of my fighting. But, let’s see.
“As far as fighting him goes, first things first. Let’s worry about [Crawford] now.”
The development came as Canelo is busy promoting his upcoming September 13 bout against Bud Crawford, the undisputed welterweight champion, a match, funnily enough, organized by the UFC President, Dana White.
The message was unmistakable: Alvarez has no interest in engaging in crossover talk at the moment, especially with someone outside his division and discipline as he prepares for a legacy-defining scrap, just months away.
Could Topuria realistically fight Canelo?
Topuria’s aspirations may be bold, but they face serious limitations, both logistical and athletic, as the ex-UFC Featherweight Champion has already solidified himself as a top-tier MMA fighter.
His technical boxing within the cage, highlighted by sharp counters and composure under pressure, has invited comparisons to traditional boxers but a fight with Canelo, who has held world titles in four weight classes, represents a far leap.
Weight is also a critical barrier and Canelo currently fights at super middleweight (168 lbs), while Topuria competes around 145 lbs in MMA. Bulking up could make the 28-year-old European, born in Germany, heavy and slow.
It would demand a drastic transformation of fighting style, conditioning, and career trajectory and while Canelo remains the clear “end goal” in Topuria’s fantasy scenario, the reality is that the Mexican icon has little incentive to entertain novelty fights.
Especially not now, at the age of 34, as he works on cementing his status as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, boxers of all-time before he begins to enter a physical decline and the next generation takes over.
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