![Dana White (left) talks about Ilia Topuria (right) vacating his belt. [Images courtesy: @danawhite and @ufceurasia on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/02/c77fa-17402907695189-1920.jpg)
![Dana White (left) talks about Ilia Topuria (right) vacating his belt. [Images courtesy: @danawhite and @ufceurasia on Instagram]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.25'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
In the wake of Ilia Topuria vacating his featherweight title, Dana White has expressed his thoughts on the reports that the UFC is prohibiting fighters from becoming simultaneous two-division champions. White claimed that Topuria decided to give up his belt and the promotion did not ask him to do so.
Last Thursday, White went on Instagram live and announced that Alexander Volkanovski will face Diego Lopes for the featherweight title in the main event of UFC 314. White also stated that Topuria vacated his 145-pound belt to pursue his dreams of becoming a double champion.
In an interview with ESPN following the announcement, Lopes asserted that the promotion had barred athletes from attempting to become simultaneous double champions and requested that they give up their title before vying for another one.
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He said:
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''They were very clear to us that they said that they are no longer giving [the] chance to jump from one weight class to another. If you want to move up, you have to vacate your title. That’s 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.''
Check out Diego Lopes' comments below:
During the UFC Seattle post-fight interview, White was asked about Lopes' comments, to which the UFC CEO refuted claims that the promotion had asked Topuria to vacate his belt.
The 55-year-old claimed that the Spaniard decided to leave the division because he believed he had accomplished everything in the 145-pound division. White said:
''No, he [Topuria] did that. He said, 'I've done everything I can do here, I'm ready to move up' and he vacated it. He said, 'I shouldn't be holding up anybody's opportunities'...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''
Check out Dana White's comments below:
