Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev is no more.
Per an official announcement made by Dana White on Instagram, the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ has vacated his lightweight championship in a bid to move up and challenge Jack Della Maddalena for his newly won welterweight crown.
As a result, Topuria will face No. 2 ranked lightweight contender Charles Oliveira in the UFC 317 headliner on Saturday, June 28, with the winner leaving as the new 155-pound champion.
Reacting to the news on social media, Topuria issued an apology in advance to ‘Do Bronx’ and threw some shade at Makhachev, accusing him of running away from their previously rumored title tilt.
“On June 28, another dream will come true,” Topuria wrote on X following the official announcement. “I’ll be the champion of the lightweight division. Charles, my apologies in advance… I’m just fighting for my dreams. It’s unfortunate that Makhachev ran away.”
Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev could come back around
While Makhachev vs. Topuria had all of the makings of a blockbuster showdown inside the Octagon, their individual pursuits for dual-division glory will keep them apart. For now. Should both Makhachev and ‘El Matador’ succeed in their bids for more UFC gold, there’s still a chance we could see the two come together for what would undoubtedly be one of the biggest fights in promotional history.
Until then, we’ll have to settle for Topuria vs. Oliveira, which is a pretty damn good consolation prize.
Here’s how UFC 317 is shaping up thus far:
