With just over a month remaining until his significant main event title fight at UFC 317, Ilia Topuria has implemented a major change to his training camp.
Last week, UFC President Dana White made a surprising announcement, revealing that Islam Makhachev has vacated his lightweight championship in pursuit of a welterweight title opportunity against Jack Della Maddalena.
This development finally confirmed the main event for UFC 317, which will see Ilia Topuria face Charles Oliveira for the newly vacant lightweight title.
As ‘El Matador’ is set to finally compete for the 155lb title next month, he has already stated that he will not grant Makhachev an immediate title shot should the Russian fighter decide to move back down in weight.
Ilia Topuria Parts Ways with Longtime Coaches Before UFC 317
With UFC 317 scheduled for June 28th, both Topuria and Oliveira are likely in the early stages of their training camps, beginning to increase the intensity in preparation for their upcoming clash.
However, news surfaced on Monday indicating that Topuria has separated from his coaches, Agustin and Jorge Climent, ahead of his lightweight championship bout.
The Climent brothers run Climent Club in Alicante, Spain, the gym where ‘El Matador’ and his brother, Aleksandre Topuria, have trained since the very beginning of their mixed martial arts careers.
Following his title success last year, the Spanish fighter relocated from Alicante to Madrid. This move appears to be the reason behind the disruption in his training relationship.
“Both sides reside in different cities, and their various professional commitments hinder their ability to collaborate as they previously did,” a report from MARCA noted.
Topuria also took the opportunity to thank his long-standing coaches, stating: “We thank them for all these years of mutual learning and growth, and we wholeheartedly wish them all the best in all their projects.”
The 28-year-old`s updated team is now expected to consist of his brother, Aleksandre, along with Jesus Gallo, Javi Climent (who is reportedly not related to the Climent brothers), Mani Tavanaei, and Mathias Ribeiro.
Aleksandre Topuria Discusses Ideal Scenario for Ilia`s Future
Although the 28-year-old will not be officially recognized as a simultaneous double champion if he defeats ‘Do Bronx’ at UFC 317, a victory would still place him in an elite category of fighters who have won titles in two distinct weight classes.
Even before this major challenge, Topuria has hinted at the possibility of moving up to the welterweight division in the future, with the ambitious goal of becoming the first fighter ever to win a championship in three different weight classes.
Speaking to Enrique Gimeno MMA, Aleksandre outlined his vision: “The perfect scenario would be for Ilia to win, for Islam to win in the welterweight division, and then for Ilia to fight for a third belt. Historic.”
