Diego Lopes claims the UFC is no longer willing to stage champion-vs.-champion fights, and that’s why Ilia Topuria is giving up the featherweight title.
UFC CEO Dana White rocked the MMA world this week when he announced that Topuria would be giving up the 145-pound title because he thinks he’s cleaned out the division and is struggling to make the weight. As a result, Lopes (26-6 MMA, 5-1 UFC) will face Alexander Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) for the vacant belt in the main event of UFC 314 on April 12 at Kaseya Center in Miami (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).
Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) has made no secrets about his desire to move to lightweight and challenge Islam Makhachev, but many wondered how it would materialize. According to Lopes, vacating the strap was an essential first step. He claims messaging from UFC brass indicated that Topuria getting a title shot at 155 pounds would not be in play unless he made a full commitment to the division.
“They were very clear to us that they said they are no longer giving a chance to jump from one weight class to another,” Lopes told ESPN in Spanish. “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 spoke on UFC’s message to champions having to vacate their title if they look to move up
#UFC314
(via @CCLegaspi) pic.twitter.com/GkTjgktH4u
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 21, 2025
There have only been limited instances of the UFC booking champion-vs.-champion fights over the course of its more than 30-year history. Only seven such matchups have occurred, and only three times (Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez, Daniel Cormier vs. Stipe Miocic, and Amanda Nunes vs. Cris Cyborg) did the winner emerge as a simultaneous two-division titleholder.
Outside of Nunes, there’s no situation where a UFC fighter spent a prolonged period as a dual-division champ, but the UFC seemingly doesn’t even want that to happen any more.
Lopes would’ve liked to see Topuria stick around the weight class and fight more of the contenders, but he understands the reasoning behind his decision and offered his full support.
“I think in the end, it’s up to each individual to decide,” Lopes said. “If (Ilia Topuria) feels he has nothing else to do in the division, well, he should move forward with his career. I know that in the division we have very good fighters that could give very good fights against him. We can even put him in some serious trouble or even defeat him. But if he feels that, because he defeated Max (Holloway) and (Alexander Volkanovski), who are legends in the division, his work his done, well, it’s fine. He has the right to believe. So go ahead.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.
