UFC Titleholder Intends to Relinquish Belt and Ascend to Higher Weight Division
UFC featherweight champion and rising star in MMA, Ilia Topuria, shared with El Partidazo de COPE that he might have fought his last bout at 145 pounds and is aiming to move up to lightweight for his upcoming contest.
Topuria intends to square off against No. 1 contender Charles Oliveira in April or May, setting a potential clash with the victor of Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan later in 2025.
View the clip (in Spanish, English translation below) to hear Topuria's announcement.
This decision may stir up commotion in UFC's featherweight and lightweight divisions. Topuria seems to be on the path to relinquishing the featherweight title, potentially initiating a title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes for the vacant title.
As for the lightweight division, Makhachev remains the only clear pathway to the title. Topuria, however, may edge past several contenders, thereby expediting his shot at the title.
Max Holloway, who succumbed to Topuria in a knockout at UFC 308 in October, has formally moved up to lightweight. Topuria now appears to be following suit, joining the 155-pound division.
Given their earlier confrontation, there's some uncertainty regarding Holloway's chances of securing a title at lightweight. Long-time contenders, such as Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, and Dustin Poirier, also share similar skepticism.
Curious to understand Dana White's perspective on Topuria's decision and UFC's realistic plans for these two weight classes.
Another UFC Update: Bryan Battle on Weight Miss at UFC 310
Bryan Battle weighed in 4 pounds over the limit for his bout against Randy Brown at UFC 310. In spite of the challenge, Battle managed to secure a split decision victory. The crowd at T-Mobile Arena voiced their disapproval following the contest.
Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show on Monday, Battle discussed his struggle with the weight cut.
“Yep, it was a f#@ked-up weight cut,” Battle admitted. “I'm not gonna lie to you.”
Helwani questioned when Battle became aware of his struggles with making weight, highlighting the importance of timely communication with opponents to avoid pointless weight cuts.
“It was... yeah, because I saw him post. It was the morning of the weigh-ins. I messaged my agent that morning—that’s when I stopped sweating. Normally, as long as I get a sweat going, I’ll just sit in the sauna or the hot tub or whatever and let the sweat flow until I get there. But if I sit in a sauna or hot bath for 45 minutes to an hour and I’m not sweating—and knowing how I usually sweat—that’s when I start to have concerns. So, you know, when I was in the hot bath for 45 minutes, I told Shemiga, ‘Yo, hit them up.’ And I’ll be honest, at that point, I thought I had messed up everything. I didn’t think the fight was going to happen. I was like, ‘I really blew this one.’”
Check out the clip.
Brown could've avoided the fight, but he persisted and came close to securing the victory. Battle admitted that, if the roles had been reversed, he wouldn't have taken the fight.
As reparation, Brown will receive 30% of Battle’s purse. However, at this point in Brown's career, such compensation arguably provides little comfort.
Ilia Topuria's announcement of moving up to lightweight for his upcoming contest has sparked discussions in the UFC's featherweight and lightweight divisions. Topuria's potential fight against Charles Oliveira in April or May could create a fascinating scenario later in 2025, with the winner possibly facing Islam Makhachev or Arman Tsarukyan.
Meanwhile, Bryan Battle managed to secure a split decision victory at UFC 310 despite weighing in 4 pounds over the limit for his bout against Randy Brown. Battle's weight issues caused concern, especially as he noticed he wasn't sweating during his weight cut.
This issue could have potentially prevented the fight from happening, as Battle admitted he wouldn't have taken the fight if the roles were reversed. Brown, however, persisted and came close to securing the victory, earning 30% of Battle’s purse as reparation.
