‘Didn’t want’ – Topuria reveals the reason for great career change before UFC 317

By Shereen Bhan On Jun 14, 2025

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Ilia Topuria has revealed why he dumped the UFC -Fedweight title.

Spaniard, born in Georgia, left the belt of 145 pounds of which he tore Alexander Volkanovski‘s Koputches in February to pursue lightweight gold.

Ilia Topuria from Spain is preparing for a UFC Vederweight Championship fight. — Ilia Topuria will return to the Octagon on UFC 317 later this monthCredit: Getty

UFC 317: Topuria vs Oliveira, World Lightweight Championship Fight Poster. — Spaniard born in Georgia is confronted with Charles Oliveira for the empty lightweight title on UFC 317Credit: UFC

Ilia Topuria from Spain is celebrating a knock -out victory and has the UFC belt of featherweight championship. — The fight will be the first of Topuria since he left the featherweight titleCredit: Getty

The 28-year-old left the division after a only but emphatic, defending defense against fan favorite Max Holloway last October.

Topuria left featherweight with a wealth of contenders, which he would all have to come across after cutting more than one STONE From body weight, champion on the play to face him.

And the difficulty of the debilitating weight of 40 pounds turned out to be the catalyst for a permanent return to lightweight.

He told ESPN Deportes: ‘At that time [when cutting weight]I’m so low.

“I feel terrible … I didn’t want to suffer anymore …

“It’s like living in the desert, and I wanted to live on the beach.”

Topuria has looked a considerable amount of muscle mass on his frame on his stall for his crack at the empty lightweight title against Charles Oliveira bee UFC 317 later this month.

The fight will be his first since his departure of his old trainers Jorge and Augustin climbing and decision to make Madrid His permanent training basis.

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Ilia Topuria that bends his biceps in a UFC movement. — Ilia Topuria used a stone in weight to make the featherweight limitCredit: Getty

The split was an amicable, with Jorge telling Submission radio: “You always feel, this is not good for the sentimental feeling, but this [is] to live.

“We go on the journey with him and now he is growing, and he wants to fly away, you know?

Ilia Topuria went to Conor McGregor in response to his tweet

“We are very proud [go as far as we did] With him. We are very proud of everything he has [has done].

“Of course we are a bit sad, but I want everything in his life [to] Keep going well.

“I all want good for him and his brother, and I think they do the same for us.

‘I don’t know what’s in the future. We have our own [direction right now] We love him. We love his brother.

“We know he’s going [beat] Everyone that [he fights] Because he is the best.

“He will always be like our son.”

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