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Dana White drops massive Ilia Topuria news, title fight announcements for UFC 314 & 315

Dana White had the MMA world buzzing Wednesday night.

Zain Bando

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

UFC CEO Dana White dropped huge news Wednesday night, announcing a batch of fights over the course of the next two months. In short, there are a lot of bangers to look forward to.

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UFC 314 Gets Brand New Featherweight Title Fight

The most alarming announcement came regarding UFC 314, which will feature a brand new UFC featherweight championship fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes for the belt that Ilia Topuria has apparently vacated. But, that wasn't the only key five-round fight revealed by White.

Alexander Volkanovski reacts before a bout against Max Holloway during UFC 276 at T-Mobile Arena.
Alexander Volkanovski reacts before a bout against Max Holloway during UFC 276 at T-Mobile Arena. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

“Topuria has felt like he’s done all he can in that division, and he feels like he’s cemented his legacy, and his body cannot make the weight anymore,” White said. “So Topuria will be moving up to 155 pounds and will be vacating the featherweight title...As soon as the first punch is thrown in [Volkanovski vs. Lopes], the title is vacated. We will announce what Topuria’s next fight will be when we get it done.”

UFC 312 will also see Paddy Pimblett challenge Michael Chandler in a five-round co-main event, plus a whole host of other fights on a stacked card in Miami, FL, including the debut of Bellator legend Patricio Pitbull opposite Yair Rodriguez.

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UFC 315 Finalized For Canada

A month later, the UFC returns to Montreal, Canada, with a championship doubleheader.

As expected, Belal Muhammad will be defending his UFC welterweight championship – with a twist. Instead of Shavkat Rakhmonov getting his long-awaited title shot, it'll be Jack Della Maddalena stepping in to fight for the title instead, with the winner fighting Rakhmonov later this year.

Belal Muhammad is introduced before his fight against Sean Brady during UFC 280 at Etihad Arena.
Belal Muhammad is introduced before his fight against Sean Brady during UFC 280 at Etihad Arena. / Craig Kidwell-Imagn Images

The co-main event sees Valentina Shevchenko fight Manon Fiorot, as the UFC opted not to go with a champ vs. champ fight between Flyweight Champion Shevchenko and Strawweight Champion Weili Zhang.

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It appears more announcements are likely on the way, as the UFC is continuing to plan its Q2 schedule. As for Leon Edwards, he will fight Sean Brady, remaining in the main event of UFC London.

Stay tuned for more UFC announcements like these as they roll out.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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