MEXICO CITY – Ignacio Bahamondes just put his name in the hat for a potential fight against former UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria . Bahamondes (17-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC), a young, rising lightweight contender, doesn’t think Topuria (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) should get the next shot at UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev for his first fight of his recent move up to 155 pounds. Bahamondes feels Topuria first needs to prove his worth, and he thinks he’s the right dance partner for him. “The truth is that he did great things at featherweight,” Bahamondes said in Spanish at a UFC Q&A . “Maybe he was missing two more defenses so he could move up as champion and get himself a direct fight against the champion. “I think that right now he needs to demonstrate he can do the same work he did at featherweight now at 155.