Dana White's latest UFC announcement confirms trend fans must accept

Dana White’s latest UFC announcement is a double-edged sword for fans. Islam Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena and Valentina Shevchenko vs. Weili Zhang are blockbuster matchups, but they also mark the close of a defining period in UFC history.

What began with Ilia Topuria challenging the lightweight division has since unraveled into three vacated championships in just a year. In the past, champions often retained their belts before daring to chase another division’s title, but that era may be fading fast.

The UFC is less tolerant of division stalling, and this means having fewer double championship fights.

Daniel Cormier holding up two UFC belts. — Double-champions like Daniel Cormier may be a thing of the past. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Will there be no more double-championship fights in the UFC?

Earlier this year, future featherweight title contender Diego Lopes alleged the UFC had instructed champions to vacate their belt if they wanted to challenge another division.

“They were very clear with us,” Lopes told Papa Legaspi. “… They did not say they’re not giving a chance to people who are jumping from division to division.

"No, if you want to go up a division, you have to leave your title vacant. That is what has been told to all the champions who are thinking of going up a division.”

White dispelled the rumor back in February, clarifying that it was Topuria’s choice not to stall the division. Yet with his latest announcement, the last three champions to move up have all vacated their belts, lending weight to Lopes’ remarks.

The next real chance fans may see a double-champion fight rests on Ilia Topuria and whether he defends his lightweight belt and then pursues the winner of Makhachev vs. Maddalena. That’s when we’ll learn if the UFC has truly ended the double-champ era.

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