Ilia Topuria, the UFC featherweight champion and one of MMA’s most exciting rising stars, has revealed his intention to vacate the 145-pound title and make a move to the lightweight division for his next fight. Speaking to El Partidazo de COPE, Topuria confirmed that his upcoming bout will likely be at 155 pounds, signaling the end of his time at featherweight.
Topuria has expressed a strong desire to face former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira in April or May, with plans to eventually challenge the winner of the title fight between Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan in late 2025.
This decision is expected to shake up both the featherweight and lightweight divisions. As Topuria prepares to relinquish the featherweight title, speculation is rife about a potential clash between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes for the vacant belt. Meanwhile, Topuria’s move to lightweight could push him directly into title contention, bypassing other contenders.
Max Holloway, whom Topuria knocked out at UFC 308 in October, has already announced his permanent move to lightweight, following a similar path to Topuria. This raises questions about Holloway’s chances of capturing the lightweight title, with top fighters like Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, and Dustin Poirier also vying for their shot at gold.
UFC President Dana White will closely watch Topuria’s decision, as the move could significantly impact the future of the featherweight and lightweight divisions.
Bryan Battle Talks Weight Cut Struggles Ahead of UFC 310
UFC fighter Bryan Battle has addressed the weight-cutting issues he faced ahead of his UFC 310 bout with Randy Brown, where he missed the weight by four pounds. Despite the setback, Battle won the fight via split decision, but boos from the crowd at T-Mobile Arena marred the result.
In an interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Battle opened up about the difficult weight cut, admitting, “It was a s##### weight cut. I’m not gonna lie to you.”
Battle explained that he realized he wouldn’t make weight on the morning of the weigh-ins, after struggling to sweat during his usual sauna and hot bath routine. “When I was in the hot bath for 45 minutes and I wasn’t sweating, I knew something was wrong,” Battle said. “At that point, I thought I had messed everything up and didn’t think the fight would happen.”
Randy Brown could have opted not to proceed with the fight, but he chose to go ahead, nearly securing the victory. Battle acknowledged that he wouldn’t have accepted the bout if the roles had reversed.
As compensation for Battle’s weight miss, Brown will receive 30% of Battle’s purse. While this is a form of recompense, it offers little solace to Brown, who fell short in his bid for victory.
Leave a Reply