The most significant revelation from UFC President Dana White was that lightweight champion Islam Makhachev has officially relinquished his title to pursue a welterweight title bout against Jack Della Maddalena.
In light of this, Dana White announced that the now-vacant lightweight championship will be up for grabs in a clash between former lightweight champ Charles Oliveira and ex-featherweight titleholder Ilia Topuria. This fight will headline UFC 317 during International Fight Week.
Following the unexpected announcement, Topuria took to social media to accuse Makhachev of dodging him.
There’s been some tension between ‘El Matador’ and ‘Do Bronx,’ stemming from Oliveira’s earlier decision to turn down a fight with Topuria as he was focused on securing a rematch with Makhachev.
Given his recent record—two wins and two losses in his last four fights—Oliveira may consider himself lucky to be chosen for the title bout. His most recent victory came at UFC 309, where he defeated Michael Chandler.
Meanwhile, Arman Tsarukyan was left out of the title picture despite earning a victory over Oliveira at UFC 300.
Shortly after Dana White’s announcement, the Brazilian fan favorite shared his reaction to the news that he would once again be competing for the undisputed title.
“Everyone started yelling, the kids were screaming—it was chaos. Training had just finished. I checked my phone and saw tons of messages. I called my manager right away, and that was it,” Oliveira told MMAhoje.
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