UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria suggests his time competing at 145 pounds may be definitively over.
Known as “El Matador,” Topuria had an outstanding run in the featherweight division, remaining undefeated and capturing the UFC title with a spectacular knockout victory over Alexander Volkanovski in February 2024. Just eight months later, Topuria achieved another remarkable feat by becoming the first fighter to finish Max Holloway with strikes.
After accumulating significant accolades at featherweight before the age of 28, Topuria is now embarking on a new challenge: vying for the vacant lightweight title against Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 on June 28. To secure this opportunity, Topuria vacated his 145-pound belt.
Considering the increasing difficulty Topuria faced in cutting down to featherweight, he feels no regret about this change.
Speaking to ESPN Deportes (quotes translated from Spanish), Topuria vividly described the hardship of weight cutting: “When you are cutting weight and deprived of food and water, material possessions lose all value. Bags of money or desirable cars mean nothing. If you`re offered a small glass of water with the guarantee it won`t affect your weight, you`d trade anything for it in that moment. You feel utterly depleted, miserable, like you`re completely exposed. I simply couldn`t endure that suffering any longer.”
He added, “I had gone through this throughout my career. I had achieved my ultimate aspiration of becoming a world champion. I needed to close that chapter because the suffering was too intense. Honestly, it felt like existing in a desert, and I longed to live on the beach.”
However, escaping a grueling weight cut was not the sole reason for Topuria`s move to 155 pounds.
When Topuria decided to pursue the lightweight belt, it was held by Islam Makhachev, who was then considered the top pound-for-pound fighter globally. Topuria maintains he is content to fight for the title regardless of the opponent and emphasizes there is no personal issue with Makhachev, but his initial strategy involved defeating Makhachev to take his belt.
He explained his motivation for wanting to face Makhachev: “The reason I wanted to fight Islam is straightforward, similar to the situation with Volkanovski. To claim the 145-pound title, it had to be Volk at that point due to his history and status as the division`s dominant figure and greatest champion.”
“It`s the same scenario with Islam,” Topuria continued. “I wanted to fight him purely because he had dominated everyone else. When you have someone defeating everyone, the reward for beating them and winning the title is significantly greater.”
Despite this, certain remarks from Makhachev and his team regarding a potential fight did not sit well with Topuria.
Topuria stated that in interviews, Makhachev and his camp were hesitant to acknowledge him as a worthy contender, suggesting he first needed a victory in the lightweight division before challenging for the title. He was also displeased by the implication that Makhachev might not vacate his title if he moved up to fight welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena (although it was later confirmed Makhachev would vacate for the UFC 317 title bout).
Nonetheless, Topuria is now just one win away from securing lightweight gold, an opportunity he feels was destined for him irrespective of what Makhachev or anyone else might have said.
Commentating on their attitude, Topuria remarked, “They seemed to try and inflate their own importance. Their attitude gave the impression they believed they had invented the sport. It was like, `Guys, just relax, enjoy yourselves wherever you are, and do what you`re supposed to do.` When they made those comments, I was puzzled, especially since information about the vacant title emerged just a couple of days later. What were they talking about? But the reality became clear, and you can see how it played out.”
He highlighted the contrast between their previous statements and the eventual outcome: “They said things like, `I`m not vacating the title even if I go up to 170,` and `Ilia must fight someone to earn a title shot.` Now, look. He moved up, he vacated the title, and I am fighting directly for the belt.”
