Ilia Topuria put on a clinic against one of the best featherweights in the division Josh Emmett as the UFC headed back to the sunshine state for a great fight night event UFC Jacksonville.

Early on Josh Emmett was landing some good shots but once Ilia Topuria found his groove midway through round one it was a wrap for the former title challenger. Topuria's superior boxing and defense were on full display in his first-ever main event spot against his toughest competitor to date. He was able to slip and rip for the majority of the fight and landed the much more devastating shots that almost finished Emmett on multiple occasions.

Emmett was beaten to a bloody pulp and his eye was so badly swollen that the doctor was close to stopping the fight in between rounds. It was his heart and durability to keep him in the fight for the entire 25 minutes and he never backed down, not one single time even though he was taken an extreme amount of damage.

After that dominant win, Topuria is looking like one of the next to challenge for the title whoever is the champion after UFC 290 but until then there are other matchups along the way that would make sense on his ascend to his first title challenge. Let's take a look at what could potentially be next for Ilia Topuria.

Winner of Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez

As the current UFC Featherweight and Interim Featherweight Champions, Volkanovski and Rodriguez are the obvious choices for Topuria's next opponent. In fact, Topuria has already been tapped as the next title challenger and likely belt holder of the 145 division. Volkanovski and Rodriguez are formidable opponents and are the two best featherweights in the entire division, but Topuria has shown that he has the skills to compete at the highest level. This would be a highly anticipated matchup between the best featherweights in the world.

Max Holloway

Holloway is a former UFC Featherweight Champion and is currently ranked #2 in the division. He is currently set to square off against “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung in his retirement fight at UFC Singapore but win or lose this be the perfect next fight for Ilia Topuria. He has a record of 24-7 and is known for his striking and cardio. A matchup between Topuria and Holloway would be a clash of two of the best strikers in the featherweight division. This would be a great test for Topuria to see if he can handle the striking of one of the best in the division en route to his title shot.

Arnold Allen

Arnold Allen is another potential opponent for Ilia Topuria. Allen is a highly skilled fighter with a record of 19-2-0 and is currently ranked #4 in the featherweight division. However, he is coming off a loss to Max Holloway. Allen is still a top contender in the division and would be a great test for Topuria's skills. A win against a formidable opponent like Allen would catapult Topuria into the title shot that he believes he certainly deserves.