It’s been an eventful Wednesday in Las Vegas, with several major announcements coming out of the UFC. But one piece of news has stolen the show: Ilia Topuria is leaving the featherweight division and moving up to lightweight in pursuit of a double championship. According to Dana White, the UFC president, Topuria feels he’s accomplished all he can in his current division, and his body can no longer handle the weight cut.
“Topuria has felt that he has done everything he could in that division… Your body can no longer bear the weight… We will announce what will be the next Topuria fight when we have it ready,” White explained. This decision isn’t surprising, given that Topuria typically walks around at 80-82 kilos outside of camp and has to cut down to 65.8 kilos for his featherweight fights. In contrast, the lightweight division will require him to weigh in at 70.4 kilos, a less aggressive cut.
Topuria himself has hinted at this move on several occasions, including in a recent interview where he expressed his desire to fight at 155 pounds. “I want to fight at 155. I don’t really need Islam’s name. Nor is it anything extraordinary… if you stay to fight with me, it’s obviously an exciting fight for the public, and if not, we will build our future…” he said.
What’s Next?
While it’s unclear if Topuria will face Islam Makhachev in his first lightweight bout, other options are on the table, including Charles Oliveira or Dustin Poirier. The UFC has yet to announce the details of Topuria’s next fight, but the International Fight Week on June 29 could be a potential destination. In the meantime, the UFC has announced the upcoming fights for UFC 314 and UFC 315, which may be connected to Topuria’s future.
Some of the announced fights include:
- Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes
- Belal Muhammad vs. Della Maddalena
- Valentina Shevchenko vs. Fiorot
These matchups could have implications for Topuria’s path in the lightweight division. For example, Volkanovski and Diego Lopes will fight for the vacant featherweight title, while Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena will compete in the welterweight division. This could potentially block Makhachev’s rise and set up a fight with Topuria. As the situation unfolds, one thing is certain – Ilia Topuria is looking to make a statement in the lightweight division, and his first fight will be highly anticipated.
