Imagine climbing Mount Everest only to build a house halfway down the mountain. Sounds foolish, doesn’t it? Yet this is precisely what former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria appears to be doing by vacating his hard-earned strap to move up to lightweight—a decision that has the MMA world buzzing with both criticism and intrigue. Topuria, who dethroned the seemingly invincible Alexander Volkanovski, isn’t just abandoning his throne—he’s leaving it vacant while Diego Lopes and the Aussie ace prepare to battle for his relinquished crown at UFC 314. The BJJ black belt’s announcement sent shockwaves through the featherweight division, leaving many to question: Why surrender what so few ever attain?
While critics see the folly in abandoning gold, 155lbs mainstay Dustin Poirier offers a contrarian perspective. ‘The Diamond’, who knows better than most the brutal toll of weight cutting, understands that sometimes the true fight happens long before the Octagon door closes—it happens in saunas, bathtubs, and treadmills as fighters drain their bodies to make weight. Perhaps Topuria’s decision isn’t surrender but strategy. At lightweight, his power might translate even more devastatingly without the depleting effects of an extreme cut. Perhaps he sees beyond the gold around his waist to the longevity of his career and the quality of his life outside the cage.
“I mean it’s [Topuria vacating the 145-pound title is] respectful, it’s honorable to vacate the belt to not hold up the division where guys have been working so hard to get their shot at the title. He’s doing it the right way, you know,” ‘The Diamond’ told ‘MMA Fighting’ in a recent interview.
Moreover, since Dana White’s announcement, the debate has raged on: Should Topuria get an immediate title shot against Islam Makhachev, or should he prove himself against a top lightweight contender first? The Dagestani team has clarified their stance, suggesting that Topuria should first face a proven lightweight like Poirier or Charles Oliveira before earning a shot at the belt.
As for Poirier himself, he doesn’t see the need for a tune-up fight or a prove-your-worth matchup for the soul-snatching juggernaut. “That’s tough to say, especially with all of the contenders and how the lightweight division’s been over the last few years,” Poirier said. “But with a guy like him, vacating the belt and moving up, finishing Max Holloway the way that he did, I would give him a crack at the lightweight title right off the bat.”
via IMAGO
Now when it comes to Topuria about vacating his 145lbs strap, some would point out that he probably had no choice. “They [the UFC] are no longer giving chance to jump from one weight class to another. If you want to move up, you have to vacate your title. This is what the UFC has said to all champions,” Diego Lopes revealed in a recent interview.
On the other hand, White has clarified that the door is not totally closed on concurrent championships. “Unless you think you can defend your title, if there’s a guy who thinks he can do it and wants to defend both belts and has accomplished all these great things, I would have no problem with it. But you’re going to be busy,” White told reporters a couple of days ago.
The key phrase here is “wants to defend both belts,” which Topuria does not want to do. The main reason ‘El Matador’ is moving up is because he just cannot cut weight to make the 145-pound limit anymore. It’s way too punishing on his body. But then again, ‘El Matador’ probably would have vacated anyway even if he had the choice. He is simply done with his former hunting grounds!
Not to mention he is a pretty honorable guy and as Poirier pointed out, wouldn’t want to hold up the division. And while it is clear he has a lot of respect for ‘El Matador’, ‘The Diamond’ has one concern about Topuria’s plan to move up.
Is Ilia Topuria undersized for lightweight?
Dustin Poirier is concerned about whether Topuria is a bit undersized for the 155-pound division. “I’ve never seen him in person but if he can make [145], you know, everybody says he’s heavy, he walks around heavy. But if he can make 145, I don’t know how big he is because some of these lightweights are huge,” the Louisiana native added.
Indeed, most top-ranked lightweights, like Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev walk around in the ballpark of 180 pounds, with some like say, Michael Chandler weighing around 190 pounds when not fighting. But it does seem like that won’t be a problem.
Ilia Topuria’s coach, Jorge Climent has revealed that ‘El Matador’s weight balloons up to “85 kilos [187 pounds] and he needs to be 66 [145 pounds]. We do a very big weight cut.” This is pretty impressive since the Spanish-Georgian is 5’7″. But more importantly, Topuria’s walk-around weight is par for the course for 155-pounders.
Safe to say, the featherweight champ being undersized won’t be a big concern. What do you think about Poirier’s take on Ilia Topuria moving up to lightweight?
The post “He’s Doing It the Right Way” – Dustin Poirier Backs Ilia Topuria for ‘Honorable’ Decision Before Moving Up to Lightweight appeared first on EssentiallySports.
