Tag: ilia topuria

Diego Lopes Talks Accomplishing Dreams By Fighting for UFC Gold against Alexander Volkanovski

Diego Lopes Talks Accomplishing Dreams By Fighting for UFC Gold against Alexander VolkanovskiDiego Lopes is one win away from achieving his dream. In a blockbuster announcement made by UFC CEO Dana…

Diego Lopes Talks Accomplishing Dreams By Fighting for UFC Gold against Alexander Volkanovski

Diego Lopes is one win away from achieving his dream.

In a blockbuster announcement made by UFC CEO Dana White on Wednesday, featherweight titleholder Ilia Topuria has vacated his belt in favor of a move to lightweight where he will inevitably challenge that division’s top dog, Islam Makhachev.

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As a result, UFC 314 will see a new featherweight champion crowned when ex-titleholder Alexander Volkanovksi returns to the Octagon for a clash with Lopes inside the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.

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Reacting to the news on social media, Lopes didn’t offer much thought on Topuria’s shocking decision to bail on the featherweight division after just one title defense. Instead, the Brazilian chose to focus on the task at hand and show appreciation for the opportunity he’s been presented with.

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“I have worked like no one else in recent years, I have accepted challenges and dares that the UFC has put in front of me, I have said yes in every situation, even when it was not favorable for me.” Lopes wrote on X. “In less than 2 years within the UFC I will have my opportunity for the title. I will not fail. Dream, believe and make it happen.”

Diego Lopes rides into UFC 314 on a five-fight win streak

Lopes goes into his first UFC title fight riding a five-fight win streak inside the Octaton, his most recent victory coming against Brian Ortega in September. Before that, he racked up a series of impressive showings against Gavin Tucker, Pat Sabatini, Sodiq Yusuff, and Dan Ige.

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As for Volkanovski, this will be his first time competing since suffering a pair of brutal back-to-back knockouts last year against Topuria and Makhachev—the two men rumored to fight for the lightweight strap as early as International Fight Week.

UFC Featherweight Says Ilia Topuria Won’t Last at Lightweight, Will Be Back to 145 in Late 2025

UFC Featherweight Says Ilia Topuria Won't Last at Lightweight, Will Be Back to 145 in Late 2025Not everyone is convinced that Ilia Topuria’s voyage into the lightweight division will last. On Wednesday, UFC CEO Dana…

UFC Featherweight Says Ilia Topuria Won't Last at Lightweight, Will Be Back to 145 in Late 2025

Not everyone is convinced that Ilia Topuria’s voyage into the lightweight division will last.

On Wednesday, UFC CEO Dana White announced that Topuria had officially vacated his featherweight title and would be moving up to 155, presumably for a future fight with the division’s reigning champion, Islam Makhachev. As a result, former featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski will meet surging contender Diego Lopes at UFC 314 for the vacated 145-pound strap when the promotion heads back to Miami on Saturday, April 12.

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However, not everyone is convinced that Topuria’s move up will be permanent. Reacting to the news on social media, tenth-ranked featherweight contender Lerone Murphy suggested that ‘El Matador’ will be back at 145 by the end of 2025.

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“Also Topuria will be back at featherweight at the end of the year I think,” Murphy wrote on X.

Does Ilia Topuria stand a chance against Islam makhachev?

Of course, all of that rides on how Topuria does when he inevitably steps inside the Octagon against Islam Makhachev.

No official details have been released as far as when or where that fight will go down, but Ariel Helwani said that the UFC could try to deliver on the highly anticipated showdown as early as International Fight Week in late June.

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Topuria and Makhachev are without a doubt two of the most skilled fighters in the UFC today, but there’s no denying that the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ will have a massive size advantage. Many would also argue that Makhachev will have a decided advantage on the mat while Topuria may be a bit more foreboding on the feet than Khabib Nurmagomedov’s protege.

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Still, Makhachev has proven himself to be more than capable of KO’ing some of the biggest names in the game, including Alexander Volkanovski—the same man Topuria beat to claim the featherweight title in February 2024.

Ilia Topuria Vacates UFC Featherweight Title, Volkanovski vs. Lopes Announced

Ilia Topuria is officially moving up to the lightweight division, and a fight for his newly vacated UFC featherweight title is already set. Topuria outlined his intentions to achieve two-division glory soon after capturing the 145-pound crown at the expense of Alexander Volkanovski last February. And after just one successful defense opposite Max Holloway, the […]

Ilia Topuria is officially moving up to the lightweight division, and a fight for his newly vacated UFC featherweight title is already set.

Topuria outlined his intentions to achieve two-division glory soon after capturing the 145-pound crown at the expense of Alexander Volkanovski last February. And after just one successful defense opposite Max Holloway, the Spaniard suggested his time in the division was done.

That’s turned out to be the case, with UFC CEO Dana White confirming Thursday that Topuria has indeed relinquished the featherweight belt ahead of a permanent move up.

With that, a clash for the championship between former titleholder Volkanovski and surging contender Diego Lopes will take place at UFC 314 in Miami on April 12.

VIDEO: Ilia Topuria Has Unique Celebration For One-Year Anniversary Of UFC Title Win

UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria has achieved a lot of firsts on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage, from ending Alexander Volkanovski’s unbeaten run at 145 pounds to becoming the first to sleep the previously unbreakable Max Holloway. Now, “El Matador” might have just become the first UFC champ to serenade their belt by signing Happy […]

UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria has achieved a lot of firsts on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage, from ending Alexander Volkanovski’s unbeaten run at 145 pounds to becoming the first to sleep the previously unbreakable Max Holloway.

Now, “El Matador” might have just become the first UFC champ to serenade their belt by signing Happy Birthday to it…

Topuria posted a hilarious video (h/t @mma_orbit) of him and his wife’s unique celebration on the one-year anniversary of his memorable championship victory in Anaheim last February.

The Spaniard reached the top of the featherweight division as an undefeated fighter at UFC 298, which he headlined in competition for Volkanovski’s gold.

Topuria made good on his prediction to leave the Australian unconscious, shutting his lights out in round two to begin a new era for the weight class.

After a similarly violent display opposite Max Holloway last October, it remains to be seen what lies ahead for “El Matador” in 2025. While Volkanovski has staked his claim for a rematch, the champ has been vocal in outlining his two-division ambitions.

Ilia Topuria Says Dagestani MMA Fighters Lose ‘Every Competitive Fight’ Amid Talk Of Islam Makhachev Clash

UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria continues to fan the flames of a potential rivalry with lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev. Considerable uncertainty surrounds Topuria’s next assignment. While the likes of Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes target his 145-pound gold, the Spaniard has made clear his goal of pursuing two-division glory. With that, talk of a clash […]

UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria continues to fan the flames of a potential rivalry with lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev.

Considerable uncertainty surrounds Topuria’s next assignment. While the likes of Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes target his 145-pound gold, the Spaniard has made clear his goal of pursuing two-division glory.

With that, talk of a clash with Makhachev continues to float around the mixed martial arts community and both men have frequently addressed it during interviews.

During a recent appearance on the Full Send Podcast, Topuria no doubt added further heat to the back and forth by taking aim at Makhachev and his fellow Dagestani fighters.

According to “El Matador,” fighters from the region flounder if they can’t establish their dominance early on in fights.

“None of them have special cardio and stamina. The way they do it, if you fight any of them, the thing they need when they go inside the Octagon, in the first contact, they want to feel like they’ve dominated you,” Topuria said. “They start to build their confidence off that. It’s like, ‘I can dominate you, maybe you escape, and we strike again, but I feel like I’m stronger than you.’

“If they feel like in the first contact in the first round that they can’t control you and it’s very competitive, then their head goes down.,” Topuria continued. “This is what they try to do, to beat you in the early rounds, that they can dominate you, that they are stronger than you. But when they realize that it’s not like that, most of the time, they lose those kinds of fights. All of the competitive fights they lose — all of them.”

While some might suggest that Umar Nurmagomedov’s five-round defeat to Merab Dvalishvili last month supports Topuria’s hypothesis, the bantamweight contender’s brother found a different outcome in his January outing. Usman Nurmagomedov got the better of Irish challenger Paul Hughes in their competitive main event title fight at PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai.

It remains to be seen whether Topuria will get the chance to prove his remarks right against Makhachev this year or be made to defend his featherweight belt for a second time.

Ilia Topuria Says Dagestani MMA Fighters Lose ‘Every Competitive Fight’ Amid Talk Of Islam Makhachev Clash

UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria continues to fan the flames of a potential rivalry with lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev. Considerable uncertainty surrounds Topuria’s next assignment. While the likes of Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes target his 145-pound gold, the Spaniard has made clear his goal of pursuing two-division glory. With that, talk of a clash […]

UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria continues to fan the flames of a potential rivalry with lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev.

Considerable uncertainty surrounds Topuria’s next assignment. While the likes of Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes target his 145-pound gold, the Spaniard has made clear his goal of pursuing two-division glory.

With that, talk of a clash with Makhachev continues to float around the mixed martial arts community and both men have frequently addressed it during interviews.

During a recent appearance on the Full Send Podcast, Topuria no doubt added further heat to the back and forth by taking aim at Makhachev and his fellow Dagestani fighters.

According to “El Matador,” fighters from the region flounder if they can’t establish their dominance early on in fights.

“None of them have special cardio and stamina. The way they do it, if you fight any of them, the thing they need when they go inside the Octagon, in the first contact, they want to feel like they’ve dominated you,” Topuria said. “They start to build their confidence off that. It’s like, ‘I can dominate you, maybe you escape, and we strike again, but I feel like I’m stronger than you.’

“If they feel like in the first contact in the first round that they can’t control you and it’s very competitive, then their head goes down.,” Topuria continued. “This is what they try to do, to beat you in the early rounds, that they can dominate you, that they are stronger than you. But when they realize that it’s not like that, most of the time, they lose those kinds of fights. All of the competitive fights they lose — all of them.”

While some might suggest that Umar Nurmagomedov’s five-round defeat to Merab Dvalishvili last month supports Topuria’s hypothesis, the bantamweight contender’s brother found a different outcome in his January outing. Usman Nurmagomedov got the better of Irish challenger Paul Hughes in their competitive main event title fight at PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai.

It remains to be seen whether Topuria will get the chance to prove his remarks right against Makhachev this year or be made to defend his featherweight belt for a second time.