Ilia Topuria’s featherweight days may very well be performed for good.
“El Matador” went on a legendary run at 145 kilos, going undefeated and capturing UFC gold with a shocking knockout of Alexander Volkanovski in February 2024. Eight months later, Topuria pulled off one other unimaginable feat by knocking out Max Holloway, changing into the primary fighter ever to complete Holloway through strikes.
Having compiled a prolonged checklist of featherweight accolades earlier than the age of 28, Topuria now takes on a wholly new problem as he prepares to combat for a vacant light-weight title at UFC 317 on June 28, when he faces Charles Oliveira. To e-book that chance, Topuria needed to vacate his 145-pound belt.
Given how tough it was getting for Topuria to chop all the way down to that weight, he has no regrets.
“If you’re reducing weight and you’ll’t eat or drink water, you don’t care about any materials issues,” Topuria informed ESPN Deportes (Spanish translation through Championship Rounds). “They may give you luggage of cash, they may give you all of the automobiles you need, you don’t care in any respect. If they offer you this little glass of water and say, ‘You possibly can drink this and it gained’t improve your weight,’ I’ll provide you with 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 wish to endure anymore. I didn’t wish to undergo that.
“I’d already performed it all through my profession. I’d already achieved my dream, which was to develop into a world champion. I needed to shut that chapter as a result of I didn’t wish to endure anymore. As a result of truthfully, it’s like residing within the desert and I needed to reside on the seashore.”
Eradicating a grueling weight lower from his life isn’t the one cause Topuria is shifting 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 may be nothing private between him and Makhachev, however his preliminary plan was to beat Makhachev to take his belt.
“Why did I wish to combat Islam?” Topuria mentioned. “For one easy reality, and it’s the identical with Volkanovski. When you 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 essentially 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 needed to combat him just because he had dominated everybody. So, who’s beating everybody? Islam. Effectively, I wish to combat him as a result of then the prize is far larger.”
That mentioned, there was one side of a possible combat with Makhachev that rubbed Topuria the mistaken method.
In interviews, Makhachev and his crew 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 recognize the suggestion that Makhachev wouldn’t vacate his title earlier than shifting on to a combat 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 chance he believes was ready for him no matter what Makhachev or anybody else needed to say.
“They tried to make it appear essential,” Topuria mentioned of Makhachev and his crew. “The perspective they’ve is like they invented the game, you recognize? It’s, like, guys, sit again, benefit from the solar wherever you might be, and do what you’re informed to do. Once they mentioned that, I used to be like, ‘What are they making up?’ It was solely two days at first would ultimately come out. What are they speaking about? However everybody will notice the reality and take 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 combat somebody to earn a title shot,’ Now, look. He’s moved up, he vacated the title, and I’m combating immediately for the belt.”
