Ilia Topuria vacated his featherweight belt so he could move up and pursue the UFC lightweight title, with weight issues and a UFC-backed promise of a lightweight title shot playing a big role in the decision.

What actually happened

  • Ilia Topuria gave up his UFC featherweight (145 lb) title before moving to lightweight (155 lb).
  • This was framed as a “shock” move because he was a newly crowned, popular champion at 145.
  • Behind the scenes, he says the UFC promised him a path to the lightweight belt if he vacated and committed to 155.

“That was the promise when I vacated the title because I’m going for [lightweight belt].”

Main reasons he vacated

1. Chasing the lightweight belt and bigger fights

  • Topuria wanted to become champion at a second weight class and saw lightweight as the most attractive route for legacy and money.
  • He could have waited, held onto the featherweight belt, and only vacated once a lightweight contract was in hand, but chose to vacate early based on the UFC’s assurances.
  • Being a former champion moving up, with UFC backing, gives him strong leverage for immediate big-name fights and potential title opportunities.

2. Increasing difficulty making 145

  • Fans and forum posters have repeatedly pointed to his weight cut as a growing problem, saying he “can’t make 145 anymore” or that doing so could damage his health and performance.
  • Some commenters argue that staying at featherweight risked a bad weight miss or a drained performance that could cost him his belt anyway, making a move to 155 the safer long-term choice.
  • Even people who think he could still technically make 145 suggest it might require unhealthy cuts that could shorten his career.

3. Strategic timing and narrative

  • A popular fan theory is that the “tough weight cut” narrative is partly tactical: by leaning into that story and vacating, he accelerates his move up while still being viewed as ambitious rather than “ducking” contenders at featherweight.
  • With the UFC promising him a lightweight title path, vacating early helps clear the logjam at featherweight while positioning him as a major attraction in the new division.

What forums and fans are saying

Forum threads and Reddit discussions show a few main viewpoints:

  1. Weight-issue view
    • He vacated because he simply can’t safely make 145 anymore.
    • In this view, staying would have been more dangerous: a brutal cut, possible weight miss, and a drained showing.
  2. Strategic double-champ / money view
    • He’s maximizing leverage: move up, get a lightweight title shot, and leave the sport young with more money and less damage.
    • Vacating was the price for fast-tracking that opportunity.
  3. Risk-taker / legacy view
    • Some fans praise him for giving up a secure belt to face elite lightweights, seeing this as a high-risk, high-reward legacy move.
    • If he wins at lightweight, he’s in the “all‑time great” conversation; if he loses, he can still rebuild at 155.

Here’s a compact view:

[7][5] [3] [5][3] [3] [3]
Angle How it explains why Ilia vacated the lightweight belt (featherweight title)
Official / reported He vacated to move up and pursue the lightweight belt, based on a UFC promise of a title path at 155.
Weight cut / health Making 145 was increasingly hard and potentially unsafe; moving up avoids brutal cuts and protects longevity.
Financial strategy Lightweight title fights mean bigger paydays and leverage, accelerating his goal to retire young with substantial earnings.
Legacy / risk Vacating a belt to challenge top lightweights is seen by some as a bold gamble to boost his all‑time status.
Fan skepticism Some think the weight‑cut narrative is partly PR to justify a move that was always about money and star power.

How “latest news” and rumors fit in

  • Clips, podcasts, and forum posts sometimes talk as if he “vacated the lightweight belt,” but what they’re really referring to is him vacating featherweight to go for the lightweight strap.
  • Around late 2025 there was extra noise because of personal and legal issues, including talk of him stepping away temporarily, which made headlines look even more dramatic than the underlying facts.
  • The core of it, though, remains: Ilia Topuria gave up his featherweight title to move to lightweight, driven by weight realities, UFC promises, and a calculated push for bigger fights and a second belt.

TL;DR:
Ilia didn’t randomly walk away from gold—he vacated the featherweight belt because making 145 was increasingly costly, and the UFC promised him a path to the lightweight title if he committed to 155, turning a risky division switch into a calculated move for legacy, health, and money.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.