No more ‘double-champs’? Diego Lopes says Ilia Topuria vacates title after ‘very clear’ UFC message
UFC featherweight title contender Diego Lopes says brass floated Ilia Topuria has to relinquish gold to move up to lightweight.
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Diego Lopes says Ilia Topuria vacated UFC featherweight title after clear instructions from UFC (Source: IMAGO/X)
Rising star Diego Lopes claims that the UFC is no longer willing to stage a champion vs. champion fight. That’s why Ilia Topuria essentially gave up his stakes to the featherweight gold. The red-hot Lopes will scrap at the UFC 314 PPV event headliner on April 12 at Kaseya Center in Miami to snag the vacant 145-pound title.
He meets former featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski in the main event. UFC CEO Dana White recently revealed that Ilia Topuria would relinquish the title because he thinks he’s cleaned out the division. “El Matador” and his Climent Club MMA (Spain) camp have also stated he hydrates better near 155. Now, Diego Lopes stated the tidbits behind the cog of his title shot at UFC 314:
They were very clear to us that they said they are no longer giving a chance to jump from one weight class to another, …If you want to move up, you have to vacate your title — This is what the UFC has said to all the champions who are planning to move up a weight class…They will no longer have the status of double champion simultaneously.
Diego Lopes to ESPNMMA’s (@ESPNDeportes’ Columnist) Carlos Contreras Legaspi (via @CCLegaspi) in Spanish; UFC 314 pre-media availability
Ilia Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) has made no secret of his desire to move up and challenge Islam Makhachev. But many have wondered how that would happen. With Topuria vacating the title, the path remains clear. However, the UFC CEO has yet to confirm if Topuria will receive an immediate title shot in the division.
Diego Lopes spoke on UFC's message to champions having to vacate their title if they look to move up 👀 #UFC314
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 21, 2025
(via @CCLegaspi) pic.twitter.com/GkTjgktH4u
In its 30-year history and more, UFC booking champion vs. champion scraps is rare. Only seven such fights have taken place. Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez in 2016, Daniel Cormier vs. Stipe Miocic and Amanda Nunes vs. Cris Cyborg in 2018 are the three cases where the winner emerged as a simultaneous two-division titleholder. Topuria, consequently, won’t be it in the future.
Peers hope Ilia Topuria has picked lightweight as his permanent lane
Diego Lopes would have preferred Topuria to stay in the weight class and fight more of the contenders. The Spaniard once also promised Diego Lopes his title shot; he also made championship weight as his backup fighter for UFC 308 PPV, thus spearheading his title crack. However, he has a lot of understanding of the reasons behind his decision and his full support.
Unlike the UFC 314 title fighter, others have different strains of thoughts. Jean Silva was hoping that a divisional move wasn’t in the cards before he learned that Ilia Topuria had vacated his featherweight title. Instead, Topuria decided to vacate his 145-pound title. When the main event of UFC 314 kicks off, he’ll be a former champion moving up to lightweight.
People moving between divisions, …I have a different view on things, and it goes back to a Brazilian saying that pretty much translates into ‘Stay in your lane,’…I understand that every fan in the UFC would love. That would be a great fight. I’d Love to watch that fight between Ilia and Islam. But he made his name at featherweight. That’s where he does it.
Jean Silva during UFC Seattle Media Day fighter interviews
Silva (16-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has competed at both 145 and 155. Saturday, he takes on contender Melsik Baghdasaryan at UFC Seattle on the main card at Climate Pledge Arena. Ilia Topuria’s plan is to be a lightweight. If he wanted to return to featherweight soon after, Silva doesn’t think it would be a good idea.
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