Exciting news in the world of MMA as UFC CEO Dana White has announced that Ilia Topuria is stepping down as the UFC featherweight champion. A new champion will be crowned in April at UFC 314, marking the beginning of a new era in the sport.
White also revealed that Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes will be competing for the vacant title at the upcoming event in Miami. In a recent discussion, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Damon Martin share their thoughts on Topuria’s decision to move to the lightweight division, the possibility of him facing Islam Makhachev, and their predictions for the Volkanovski vs. Lopes showdown.
In addition to these major developments, Chandler vs. Pimblett has been announced as the co-main event for the April pay-per-view. Fans can also look forward to seeing Patricio Pitbull take on Yair Rodriguez, as well as Belal Muhammad defending his welterweight title against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 in May.
For more insights and reactions to these announcements, be sure to watch the full video above. You can also listen to the audio-only version of the show on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.