Ilia Topuria reveals the real reason he vacated his UFC featherweight title

Ilia Topuria knows something we don’t. There’s two schools of thought when it comes to Topuria’s lightweight move, one being an immediate title fight for the UFC Featherweight Champion or two, having to work his way up to a championship opportunity like any other top contender would. Though, Ilia Topuria isn’t like any other fighter.

The heavy-handed Spaniard conquered the 145lb division with knockouts of Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway , former champions back-to-back. What came next was just as unexpected as Topuria vacated the featherweight throne , making it his mission to conquer the lightweight division..



. but why so soon? Ilia Topuria has the UFC’s word for next fight at lightweight Topuria announced earlier this month he’d have a fight lined up you wouldn’t believe . Weeks later, we still have yet to receive confirmation on who will be Topuria’s lightweight opponent, UFC Champion Islam Makhachev among options like Dustin Poirier , Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje .

Asked about his future, Topuria makes one thing clear. “I don’t know who’s going to be my next fight,” Topuria said in Spanish at the WOW 17 post-fight press conference (via Marca). “The only I know for sure is I have the UFC’s word that my next fight will be for the [lightweight] world title.

“If they offered me a fight against you, I’d accept,” Topuria told a reporter. pic.twitter.

com/VX432KL6wk Why Ilia Topuria vacated title when he did Name-dropping Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira as potential opponents in the same interview, Ilia Topuria doesn’t seem to have a preference on who he fights next. As long as it’s for the belt, the rebranded “La Leyenda” is happy. Topuria says that’s what the UFC brass promised him before he made the decision to relinquish his 145lb title.

“That was the promise when I vacated the title because I’m going for [lightweight belt],” Topuria revealed. “I could’ve done it another way like, ‘I’m going to wait until they send a contract to sign, then I’ll vacate the title..

.’ “Everything they’ve promised me, they fulfilled,” Topuria explained why he put his trust in the UFC. This article first appeared on Bloody Elbow and was syndicated with permission.

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