‘Didn't want to' – Ilia Topuria explains reason for major career change ahead of UFC 317 clash with Charles Oliveira
TOP GUN 'Didn't want to' – Ilia Topuria explains reason for major career change ahead of UFC 317 clash with Charles Oliveira
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ILIA TOPURIA has revealed why he ditched the UFC featherweight title.
The Georgian-born Spaniard vacated the 145lbs belt he ripped from Alexander Volkanovski's clutches in February to pursue lightweight gold.
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Ilia Topuria returns to the octagon at UFC 317 later this month
Credit: Getty
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The Georgian-born Spaniard will face Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 317
Credit: UFC
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The fight will be Topuria's first since he vacated the featherweight title
Credit: GETTY
The 28-year-old departed the division after a sole, but emphatic, title defence against fan favourite Max Holloway last October.
Topuria left featherweight with a wealth of contenders, all of whom he'd have to face after cutting more than a STONE of bodyweight, champing at the bit to face him.
And the difficulty of the gruelling 40lbs weight cut ultimately proved to be the catalyst for a permanent return to lightweight.
He told ESPN Deportes: 'In that moment [when cutting weight], I'm so low.
"I feel terrible… I didn't want to suffer anymore…
"It's like living in the desert, and I wanted to live on the beach.'
Topuria has looked to have put on a considerable amount of muscle mass on his frame ahead of his crack at the vacant lightweight title against Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 later this month.
The fight will be his first since his departure from his long-time trainers Jorge and Augustin Climent and decision to make Madrid his permanent training base.
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Ilia Topuria used to cut over a stone in weight to make the featherweight limit
Credit: GETTY
The split was an amicable one, with Jorge telling Submission Radio: "You feel, always, this is not good for the sentimental feeling, but this [is] life.
'We go with him on the journey and now he grow, and he wants to fly away, you know?
Ilia Topuria went OFF on Conor McGregor in response to his tweet
"We are very proud to [go as far as we did] with him. We are very proud for everything he [has done].
"Of course, we are a little sad, but I want everything in his life [to] continue going well.
"I want all good for him and his brother, and I think that they do the same for us.
'I don't know what can be in the future. We have our own [direction right now] We love him. We love his brother.
"We know he's going to [beat] everybody that [he fights] because he's the best.
"Always, he's going to be like our son."
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