Opinion: Respect for Ilia Topuria, Even If He Made the Wrong Move

ARE YOU READY MIAMI ??#UFC314 is STACKED \ud83d\udd25

Get tickets \u27a1\ufe0f https://t.co/wHZIAclFPP pic.twitter.com/oseoq4X444

— UFC (@ufc) February 20, 2025Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.

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In a major shock to the mixed martial arts world, Ilia Topuria vacated his undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight title to pursue two-division glory as a lightweight. In light of his departure, UFC CEO Dana White announced that Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes would clash for the vacant featherweight crown at UFC…