Being the world champion in their respective weight class is what every UFC fighter dreams of. There are some exceptions who have held belts in two divisions simultaneously, but in the end, it’s all about the belt. It shows dominance. Ilia Topuria, ever since he made his UFC debut in 2020, has been a dominant fighter.
After eight fights in the promotion, Topuria is unbeaten. He started in the featherweight division against Youssef Zalal and won the fight via decision. It took him less than four years to get a shot at the title. Topuria fought Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February 2024 and registered a knockout win.
The same year, in October, Topuria defended his title against Max Holloway at UFC 308. He had already stamped his name all over the featherweight division. However, Topuria isn’t driven by that, his drive comes from competition. So, the 28-year-old decided to move up a division, to the lightweight category.
In order to do that, El Matador had to vacate his belt. In a surprising move, Topuria didn’t hesitate to do that. There are better challenges waiting for him in the lightweight division, and Topuria wants to leave a part of his legacy in that division as well. As surprising as it is, considering he was a champion, moving up and down divisions is something most great fighters do.
Topuria isn’t going into the lightweight division completely inexperienced. The 28-year-old had previously made his lightweight debut back in March 2022 against Jai Herbert at UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall. With some experience under his belt and a lot of confidence to back himself, Topuria has embarked on a new journey.
Ilia Topuria didn’t want to be selfish
El Matador was recently in conversation with Men’s Health Spain for their April issue. When asked about him vacating the title to move up to lightweight, he said, “Look, I know I’m not going to cut weight right now, and I don’t want to hold down an entire division.” Topuria understands that other fighters in the division have been working hard to get their title shots.
“There are guys who are preparing every day, who are fighting, just like me, for their dreams… And retaining the title would be very selfish of me,” he added. That’s truly an unselfish move from someone who has become a star over the last few years. Topuria could’ve easily held on to his title and have gotten a few easy title defenses on his resume.
Ilia Topuria on why he decided to vacate his featherweight title:
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 24, 2025
"I know I'm not going to cut weight right now, and I don't want to hold down an entire division.
There are guys who are preparing every day, who are fighting, just like me, for their dreams… And keeping the… pic.twitter.com/oK2vziN6Me
But even at such an important point in his career, he is thinking about the sport and its spirit. More importantly, Ilia Topuria doesn’t need a belt around his waist to feel like a world champion. He said, “Besides, I’m the world champion, whether I vacate the title or not. I don’t need a belt to feel worthy.” As per Dana White, an official announcement on the next Topuria fight is coming soon.
Prateek is a seasoned content writer with over 2500 published articles and two+ years of experience. His passion for UFC was ignited during Conor McGregor’s meteoric rise, and closely following McGregor’s journey inspired him to bring a sharp, fan-driven perspective to his UFC coverage, blending detailed analysis with compelling storytelling.
