Topuria, 28, has gained the primary 16 fights of his profession and had a outstanding 2024, knocking out Alexander Volkanovski to win the featherweight title final February.
Victory meant Topuria, who holds Georgian citizenship, turned Spain’s first UFC champion, earlier than he was granted Spanish citizenship by President Pedro Sanchez.
Topuria knocked out one other former champion in Max Holloway in October, earlier than vacating the belt in April to maneuver as much as light-weight.
Regardless of his success at featherweight, Topuria says the choice to maneuver up was primarily based on the toll the division was having on his bodily well being.
“I actually belong to this this weight class. I needed to virtually kill myself to make the 145lb (10st 3lb) division,” stated Topuria.
“I really feel a lot comfy. I really feel much more highly effective on this weight division.
“And that is really the primary time I’ve been in a position to take pleasure in the entire course of just like the coaching – even the load reduce – as a result of it is a lot a lot simpler.
“From one to 10, at featherweight after I was preventing at this level I used to be feeling at 5. And now I really feel at 9.”