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Diego Lopes Disputes Notion That Ilia Topuria Lacked Challenges at Featherweight
If Diego Lopes is to be believed, the era of two-division champions is over in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Featherweight champ Ilia Topuria recently vacated his belt to move up to lightweight, setting the stage for Lopes to face Alexander Volkanovski for the vacant 145-pound title at UFC 314. UFC CEO Dana White announced that Topuria felt he had accomplished enough at 145 pounds and has difficulty making the weight now.
However, Lopes claims Topuria was forced to vacate his belt in order to move up to lightweight.
“They were very clear to us that they said that they are no longer giving [fighters the] chance to jump from one weight class to another,” Lopes told ESPN. “If you want to move up, you have to vacate your title. This is what UFC has said to all champions who are planning to move up a weight class. They will no longer have the status of double champion simultaneously.”
However, White disputed that claim during the UFC Seattle post-fight press conference on Saturday night.
“Unless you think you can defend your title,” White said. “Listen, if there’s a guy that 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. You’re going to be busy.”
Topuria won the title by knocking out Alexander at UFC 298 last year and defended it by handing Max Holloway his only stoppage loss at UFC 308. The undefeated Georgian-Spaniard then began eyeing a move up to 155 pounds, citing a lack of fresh contenders at featherweight. While Lopes is fine with Topuria moving up, he refuses to accept that there is no competition left for the former champ at featherweight.
“If [Topuria] feels he has nothing else to do in the division, well, he should move forward with his career,” Lopes said. “I know that in the division we have very good fighters that could give very good fights against him. We can even put him in serious trouble or even defeat him. But if he feels that because he defeated Max and Volk [Alexander Volkanovski], who are legends in the division, his work is already done here, well, it’s fine.”
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