‘Didn't want to' – Ilia Topuria explains reason for major career change ahead of UFC 317 clash with Charles Oliveira
ILIA TOPURIA has revealed why he ditched the UFC featherweight title.
The Georgian-born Spaniard vacated the 145lbs belt he ripped from
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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
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"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
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
'We go with him on the journey and now he grow, and he wants to fly away, you know?
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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.
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"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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