The UFC’s lightweight division has been brimming with speculation ever since Ilia Topuria decided to move up from featherweight in pursuit of a title shot. However, Chael Sonnen believes the Spanish fighter won’t be given a championship bout immediately.
Many have praised Topuria’s move, stating that he did the right thing by vacating the featherweight title to keep the division moving. It has also pleased those who were clamoring to see Ilia take on Islam Makhachev.
The lightweight champion’s team, however, has repeatedly said that Topuria must prove his mettle at lightweight before challenging for the crown. Well, should the former featherweight king, with a blemish-free 16-0 record, go through the ropes once again? It seems he has to, and that too, not even for a title fight.
Sonnen has claimed that Topuria might even have difficulty getting a fight with former champion Charles Oliveira to prove his contender status. Sharing this insight on his Spotify podcast, You’re Welcome! With Chael Sonnen, the former UFC middleweight fighter revealed that Oliveira has made it clear he will only face Topuria if one of two scenarios unfolds.
“First, he fights Max Holloway for the BMF belt, and if he wins, then Charles will grant him the fight,” Sonnen said.
The other scenario is a little more complicated, or rather, far from reality. “Or Ilia fights and defeats Islam. If he fights and defeats Islam and he’s the world champion, then Charles will fight him,” added Sonnen.
So, if Sonnen’s speaking the truth, Topuria’s road ahead in lightweight, right up to the title shot, won’t be as straightforward as he hoped it would be. Oliveira, meanwhile, remains focused on title contention, making it clear that he won’t step into the Octagon for anything less than gold.
Considering these strange dynamics at play, Sonnen believes ‘Topuria should not have vacated his featherweight title in the first place.
Chael underscores the value of a world title
Topuria enjoyed a brief but dominant featherweight title reign, capturing the belt with a knockout victory over Alexander Volkanovski in February 2024. He defended it successfully against Max Holloway later in the year, becoming the first fighter to knock him out.
Earlier this week, UFC president Dana White told the press that the Spaniard felt he had done everything that needed to be done in the division. He didn’t want to make the weight cuts anymore.
White also lauded Topuria for not wanting to hold up the division or keep other deserving competitors from getting their title shots. However, Sonnen is not sure if it was the wisest choice.
“I never lost a fight, but I also never won a world championship. I worked my entire life for it and sacrificed everything. I can’t even imagine willingly giving it up. If it were me, they would have had to pry that belt from my cold, dead hands,” said Sonnen.
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It’s perplexing that Sonnen, who has a 29-15-1 record, claimed he never lost a fight. That boastful discrepancy apart, his point about not giving up a world title, is pretty valid.
But what’s done is done. Now Volkanovski takes on Diego Lopes for the 145 lbs belt, while Topuria’s future at 155 lbs remains uncertain.
