Ilia Topuria has explained his decision to move on from the UFC featherweight title.
The fighter, born in Georgia and representing Spain, gave up the 145-pound belt he won from Alexander Volkanovski in February to chase a title in the lightweight division.
The 28-year-old is moving up after his dominant victory over Alexander Volkanovski in February, which earned him the featherweight title. He has since vacated that belt.
Topuria is leaving a competitive featherweight division, where numerous contenders were eager to challenge him, a process that would require him to undergo a significant weight cut (over 14 pounds).
He states that the gruelling process of cutting approximately 40 pounds (nearly 20 kg) to reach the featherweight limit was the primary factor behind his decision to return permanently to lightweight.
He explained to ESPN Deportes: “When I`m cutting weight, I feel so depleted. 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 appears to have gained significant muscle mass as he prepares to challenge Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 317 later this month.
This upcoming fight marks his first bout since parting ways with his long-time trainers Jorge and Augustin Climent and establishing Madrid as his primary training location.
His former trainer, Jorge Climent, spoke about the split, describing it as an amicable parting. Climent stated:
“It`s always a bit sad emotionally, but that`s life. We were on this journey with him, and now he`s grown and wants to fly away, you know?
“We are very proud of how far we went with him, proud of everything he`s achieved.
“Of course, we are a little sad, but we wish him all the best for his life and career.
“We think he feels the same about us.
“We don`t know what the future holds; we have our own path now. We love him and his brother.
“We know he`s going to beat everyone he fights because he`s the best.
“Always, he`s going to be like a son to us.”
Percy Harlow