A pair of featherweights will throw down in July, looking for a spot in the top 15 of the UFC’s rankings.
According to adjarasport.com, surging Georgian featherweight prospect Ilia Topuria will fight Ryan Hall on July 10. Topuria subsequently confirmed the bout via social media.
Hall (8-1) has only fought three times since winning season 22 of The Ultimate Fighter, which took place in 2015. The jiu jitsu fighter has been out of action since his unanimous decision win over Darren Elkins at UFC Fight Night: de Randamie vs. Ladd in 2019. The grappler was supposed to return last August against former title challenger Ricardo Lamas, but an injury forced Hall out of that fight. He was also supposed to return against Dan Ige earlier this month at UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Muhammad but another injury forced him out of the bout.
Topuria (10-0) on the other hand has been much more active. He burst onto everyone’s radar in 2020 by soundly defeating fellow prospect Youssef Zalal on ‘Fight Island’ in his UFC debut. The Georgian fighter would return two months later in December and viciously knock out Damon Jackson at UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Vettori.
The UFC has removed Hall from the top 15 featherweight rankings in February due to inactivity. He was sitting at No. 14 before being removed. Depending on whether he returns to the rankings, Topuria will have a chance to take his spot.
No location, venue, or broadcast plan has been reported for the UFC’s July 10 event, although it is speculated to be UFC 264. No other fights have been announced as of yet.
