{"id":23806,"date":"2024-12-10T10:10:35","date_gmt":"2024-12-10T10:10:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/?p=23806"},"modified":"2024-12-10T10:10:35","modified_gmt":"2024-12-10T10:10:35","slug":"ilia-topuria-confirms-move-to-lightweight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/news\/ilia-topuria-confirms-move-to-lightweight\/","title":{"rendered":"Reigning UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria CONFIRMS Plans Of Lightweight Move, Admits He Won’t Fight At Featherweight Again"},"content":{"rendered":"

UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria has confirmed in a recent interview that his days as a 145-pound fighter are done. ‘El Matador’ has revealed plans to move up to lightweight with immediate effect, with his next fight likely to be at 155-pounds in the New Year.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ilia Topuria Confirms Lightweight Move Next<\/h2>\n

Reigning UFC featherweight king Ilia Topuria<\/a> has confirmed in a recent interview his days at 145-pounds are over. ‘El Matador’ recently shared some significant career plans during an interview on Spanish radio show El Partidazo de COPE<\/em>.<\/p>\n

During the interview, Topuria revealed that he plans on moving up to lightweight with immediate effect, as well as wanting to be retired from MMA by the time he is 30-years-old.<\/p>\n

This means that Ilia Topuria’s next fight<\/a> in the New Year could well be against a top contender at 155-pounds. It is unlikely the Spanish-Georgian MMA star will get a UFC Lightweight Title shot immediately, but could be given an opportunity to fight for the belt in 2025 if he first wins at 155-pounds.<\/p>\n

Topuria beat both Max Holloway<\/a> and Alexander Volkanovski in his two featherweight title fights, winning both via emphatic knockout. Both Holloway and Volkanovski are widely regarded as two of the best 145-pound UFC<\/a> fighters of all time, with Topuria making light work of both.<\/p>\n

Now, ‘El Matador’ has turned his attentions to lightweight. Islam Makhachev<\/a> is the current champion at 155-pounds, as well as being the pound-for-pound best UFC fighter on the planet right now. He faces Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311<\/a> in January, with a possible showdown with Topuria possible for early summer.<\/p>\n

\n

Ilia Topuria says he's moving up to lightweight \ud83d\ude33<\/p>\n

Interviewer: "Is it possible that we have already seen your last featherweight fight?"<\/p>\n

Ilia: "Yes, for sure."<\/p>\n

Interviewer: "You are moving to lightweight"<\/p>\n

*Ilia nods*<\/p>\n

(via. @partidazocope<\/a>)pic.twitter.com\/1i5V4PIb79<\/a><\/p>\n

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 9, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n