The UFC lightweight title is vacant right now because Ilia Topuria, who had become champion at 155 pounds, stepped away from active competition and the promotion moved on by scheduling a new title fight for the now‑vacant belt.

What actually happened

  • Ilia Topuria moved up from featherweight to lightweight after vacating his 145‑lb belt due to weight‑cut issues and feeling he had done everything in that division.
  • He then won the lightweight title with a knockout of Charles Oliveira in June, becoming champion at 155.
  • Later in 2025, Topuria announced he was taking a leave from competition while dealing with a difficult personal situation and would not fight in the first part of 2026.
  • He did not defend the lightweight belt before this pause, leaving the division without an active, defendable champion at the top.

Why the belt is considered “vacant”

  • With the champion unavailable, the UFC chose to keep the division moving by declaring the lightweight title vacant and booking a new championship matchup.
  • Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett were announced to fight for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 324, effectively re‑crowning the division while Topuria is out.
  • An interim‑style solution was discussed around this time: reports describe Gaethje–Pimblett as an interim or vacant‑title bout to keep contenders active while Topuria is sidelined.

In short, the lightweight belt is vacant because the previous champion, Ilia Topuria, stepped away from competition without defending, and the UFC opted to reset the division by putting the title back up for grabs.

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