UFC will no longer have 'double champions' like Conor McGregor after Ilia Topuria vacates title in pursuit of second belt
02/21/2025 05:43 AM
UFC double-championships might be a thing of the past in light of recent breaking news.
UFC CEO Dana White revealed that featherweight champion Ilia Topuria will vacate his throne to chase opportunities at lightweight. Topuria is favored to fight Islam Makhachev, but unlike Alexander Volkanovski, it won’t be for double-champ status.
In recent years, it became commonplace for newly minted champions to hint at double-champ fights. Sean O’Malley wanted Topuria, Topuria wanted Makhachev, and Makhachev hinted at moves to welterweight or middleweight.
At middleweight, Dricus Du Plessis entertains fights with Belal Muhammad and Alex Pereira. This might have been too much ‘double champ’ talk for the UFC brass.
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UFC’s Diego Lopes reveals promotion instructed champions to leave titles behind if they want to move division
UFC featherweight Diego Lopes says the UFC no longer tolerates reigning champions holding their titles while challenging in other divisions.
“They were very clear with us,” Lopes told Papa Legaspi (translated by Bloody Elbow). “… They did not say they’re not giving a chance to people that are jumping from division to division. No, if you want to go up a division, you have to leave your title vacant.
“That is what has been told to all the champions who are thinking of going up a division.”
This would appear to be the case with Topuria. Other potential double-champ matchups on the line in the future include:
- Zhang Weili (WSW) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (WFLW)
- Alexandre Pantoja (FLW) vs. Merab Dvalishvili (BW)
- Islam Makhachev (LW) vs. Belal Muhammad (WW)
- Belal Muhammad (WW) vs. Dricus Du Plessis (MW)
- Dricus Du Plessis (MW) vs. Alex Pereira (LHW)
- Alex Pereira (LHW) vs. Tom Aspinall (HW)
Whether these champions have to forfeit their titles depends on their fights’ marketability. In Topuria’s case, it was unfortunate that Volkanovski had two double-champ opportunities against Makhachev. Otherwise, he’d have probably been given the opportunity.
UFC’s Dan Hooker thinks Ilia Topuria vacating title is a ‘show of force’ from UFC Brass
Perennial UFC lightweight contender Dan Hooker believes that Topuria vacating his title isn’t just a requirement from the UFC to chase double-champ status but a show of force from the promotion to squash fighters getting too big for their boots.
“I think they just took it off him as a show of force,” Hooker told Submission Radio. “Just to be like, ‘Brother, you fight when we tell you to fight.’ I think that’s more what’s going on. . . . I wouldn’t be surprised if he does get the instant title shot. It’s just weird that they took the title.
“I don’t think that they want him to go up. I think it’s a show of force from the UFC.”
There is also the factor that Topuria no longer wants to cut weight to meet the featherweight limit. Perhaps the UFC took his title knowing he wouldn’t be willing to return to featherweight after the move.
