Ilia Topuria headlining UFC Noche would be a terrible idea

We love new featherweight champion Ilia Topuria and we believe he deserves something special for his first title defense but main eventing at UFC Noche at the Las Vegas Sphere is not it. Here's why.

First of all, a Mexican fighter should be given the honor of main eventing the UFC Noche card seeing as it is in celebration of Mexican Independence Day. That seems like a no-brainer but there's more.

Topuria is a proud representative of Spain, which is the country the Mexicans were fighting against to gain their independence, so not only would putting a non-Mexican in the main event be an insult, putting a Spanish fighter in it's place would be straight fighting words.

Ilia Topuria wants Max Holloway for the BMF title fight at the Sphere

There's still some hope that this fight doesn't actually happen. After all, Topuria told Ariel Helwani he would only agree to fight Max Holloway in the main event if it was for the BMF title.

“Without the BMF belt, I don’t want him at all,” Topuria said on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour. “If not, I’m going to fight with Volkanovski, who deserves the rematch more than him. Because he has that belt, I’m excited about that. That’s why I want him. He’s been saying, ‘Right now I have a lot of options’ and this and that. He doesn’t have any options.

He continued, “I’m the champion right now. I choose the date. I choose the place. He just has to be ready. He has to wait for the call. Whenever I want him, he has to be ready.”

Some better options for the UFC Noche card would be a trilogy fight between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Schevenko. Or if it's just a fight night card, perhaps Diego Lopes or Brian Ortega could be in the discussion. But trust us, anyone by Topuria, please.