No More Double Champs? Why The UFC May Be Moving On
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Following Ilia Topuria’s shocking decision to vacate the UFC featherweight championship, new reports have shed light on the possible reason behind it. While rumors that Ilia can no longer make the weight could be true, there may be more to the story.
Upon relinquishing the championship, Dana White was quick to book Diego Lopes vs. Alexander Volkanovski for the vacant strap. ESPN recently had Diego Lopes on to discuss the matchup, where he had some very interesting comments.
“If you want to move up, you have to vacate your title. That’s what UFC has said to all champions who are planning to move up a weight class. They will no longer have the status of double champion simultaneously,” said Lopes. If this is true, it may be the reason why Topuria would move up after a single title defense. Don’t forget the eagerness ‘El Matador’ showed for a matchup with lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev. This news also signals the end of the double champ era—or as McGregor would say, the ‘champ champ’ era. Fighters can still claim titles in two divisions. But it looks like the days of holding two belts simultaneously seem to be a thing of the past.
Being a double UFC champion is special; that’s why there have only been four in history. In 2016, Conor McGregor would become the first after his victory over Eddie Alvarez in Madison Square Garden. Daniel Cormier would follow suit and become the company’s second double champion in 2018. Not long after, Amanda Nunes and Henry Cejudo added their names to the history books by doing the same. It been done just four times. But, nobody has been able to accomplish this since Henry Cejudo in 2019. Given the recent news, it seems nobody will be able to do it again.
The double champ era in UFC history will likely be remembered as a unique moment in time. Having a gold belt on each shoulder is undeniably badass.
Either way, what do you make of the news? Let us know in the comments below.
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