Ilia Topuria’s featherweight days may very well be carried out for good.
“El Matador” went on a legendary run at 145 kilos, going undefeated and capturing UFC gold with a surprising knockout of Alexander Volkanovski in February 2024. Eight months later, Topuria pulled off one other unbelievable feat by knocking out Max Holloway, turning into the primary fighter ever to complete Holloway by way of strikes.
Having compiled a prolonged record of featherweight accolades earlier than the age of 28, Topuria now takes on a wholly new problem as he prepares to struggle for a vacant light-weight title at UFC 317 on June 28, when he faces Charles Oliveira. To ebook that chance, Topuria needed to vacate his 145-pound belt.
Given how troublesome it was getting for Topuria to chop right down to that weight, he has no regrets.
“Whenever you’re slicing weight and you’ll’t eat or drink water, you don’t care about any materials issues,” Topuria advised ESPN Deportes (Spanish translation by way of Championship Rounds). “They can provide you baggage of cash, they can provide you all of the automobiles you need, you don’t care in any respect. If they provide you this little glass of water and say, ‘You possibly can drink this and it received’t enhance your weight,’ I’ll offer you no matter it takes in that second. I’m so low. I really feel horrible. It’s like sitting bare in the course of the road. I really feel horrible. So I didn’t need to undergo anymore. I didn’t need to undergo that.
“I’d already carried out it all through my profession. I’d already achieved my dream, which was to change into a world champion. I needed to shut that chapter as a result of I didn’t need to undergo anymore. As a result of truthfully, it’s like residing within the desert and I wished to stay on the seaside.”
Eradicating a grueling weight lower from his life isn’t the one purpose Topuria is transferring to 155 kilos.
When Topuria made the choice to chase the light-weight title, it resided across the waist of Islam Makhachev, the No. 1 Pound-for-Pound fighter on the planet. Topuria is content material to be combating for the title no matter opponent and insists there’s nothing private between him and Makhachev, however his preliminary plan was to beat Makhachev to take his belt.
“Why did I need to struggle Islam?” Topuria stated. “For one easy truth, and it’s the identical with Volkanovski. For those who beat somebody and take the title from them at 145, it needed to be Volk. It needed to be Volk for me at that time as a result of he had probably the most historical past within the division. He was the one who dominated everybody. He was the best.
“It’s the identical for me with Islam. I wished to struggle him just because he had dominated everybody. So, who’s beating everybody? Islam. Properly, I need to struggle him as a result of then the prize is far larger.”
That stated, there was one side of a possible struggle with Makhachev that rubbed Topuria the flawed manner.
In interviews, Makhachev and his staff had been reluctant to place Topuria over as a worthy challenger, insisting that he decide up a win at light-weight earlier than difficult for the title. He additionally didn’t respect the suggestion that Makhachev wouldn’t vacate his title earlier than transferring on to a struggle with new welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena (it was later introduced Makhachev would vacate the title for it to be contested at UFC 317).
Regardless, Topuria is now one win away from light-weight gold, a possibility he believes was ready for him no matter what Makhachev or anybody else needed to say.
“They tried to make it appear vital,” Topuria stated of Makhachev and his staff. “The perspective they’ve is like they invented the game, ? It’s, like, guys, sit again, benefit from the solar wherever you’re, and do what you’re advised to do. Once they stated that, I used to be like, ‘What are they making up?’ It was solely two days in the beginning would ultimately come out. What are they speaking about? However everybody will understand the reality and have a look at what occurred.
“‘I’m not going to vacate the title even when I transfer as much as 170.’ ‘No, Ilia has to struggle somebody to earn a title shot,’ Now, look. He’s moved up, he vacated the title, and I’m combating immediately for the belt.”
