Will Ilia Topuria become a three-division champion? The UFC says not so fast. Ilia Topuria isn’t just undefeated. He’s now undefeated and a two-division UFC champion. Fresh off a jaw-dropping first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, Topuria added the lightweight belt to his trophy case, making him the first fighter to win UFC titles in two weight classes without a blemish on his record. The right-hand-left-hook combo that finished Oliveira at 2:27 of the opening round sent the T-Mobile Arena crowd into a frenzy and cemented Topuria’s status as a generational talent.
Ilia Topuria’s Two-Division Triumph – Third Belt? UFC Says No
Ilia Topuria’s rise has been swift and surgical. After a string of dominant performances, he claimed the featherweight title by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski in February 2024, ending the Australian’s legendary reign. Later that year, he became the first man to stop Max Holloway by strikes, defending his belt with authority. But just when fans expected him to settle in for a long reign at 145 pounds, Topuria surprised everyone by vacating the title and moving up to lightweight, citing challenging weight cuts and a lack of compelling challengers.
His lightweight debut was no tune-up. Headlining UFC 317 during International Fight Week, Topuria faced Oliveira, a former champion known for his durability and Brazilian jiu-jitsu wizardry. Few expected Oliveira to go quietly. Fewer expected him to go in the first round. Topuria’s precision and power were on full display – Oliveira hit the canvas before the fight could even settle into a rhythm. With the win, Topuria joined an elite group: only nine other fighters have held UFC belts in two divisions.
Three UFC Titles
Now at 17-0, Topuria’s is asking, what’s next? The Spanish-Georgian Topuria has hinted at an even bigger ambition: a third belt at welterweight.
Ilia Topuria’s ambition for a third UFC title is not a spur-of-the-moment notion. Even before his recent conquest of the lightweight division, Topuria hinted at an interest in welterweight, a weight class 25 pounds above his original featherweight home. During his featherweight reign, he openly speculated about the possibility of chasing a third belt, citing the lack of fresh challenges at lower weights and the appeal of making history as a three-division champion.
“I thought about it,” he admitted after UFC 317 in a recent interview, “but the last conversations I had with the UFC, they personally asked me the favor: ‘Don’t tell us after the fight that you want to move to the welterweight division. Make us a promise.’ And I was like, ‘Promise? I was like, ‘I swear to promise.’ “
Three-division champion? Not so fast, says the promotion. But if Topuria’s track record is any indication, he’s not the type to let a little thing like weight classes stand in his way. However, the UFC has made clear that, for now, Topuria’s two-division dominance is enough – leaving the welterweight dream.
No fighter in UFC history has ever held world titles in three different weight classes at the same time. A handful have won belts in two divisions, names like Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, and Henry Cejudo stand out, but the elusive triple-champion status remains unclaimed. Ilia Topuria’s ambition to chase a third belt at welterweight would, if realized, make him the first in the promotion’s history to achieve this feat.
