Ahead of his return at UFC 314, incoming title challenger, Diego Lopes has claimed the promotion have informed current champions that they will no longer be able to attempt to become two-weight titleholders, without previously vacating their gold in their current weight class.
Lopes, the current number three ranked featherweight champion, is set to headline UFC 314 in April, competing for vacant title spoils in a high-stakes main event fight with ex-gold holder, Alexander Volkanovski in just his seventh Octagon start.
Awarded the opportunity to take on the New South Wales favorite for the featherweight title, Lopes and the former will compete for spoils now vacated by the unbeaten, Ilia Topuria — who is hellbent on a move to the lightweight limit to take on the incumbent, Islam Makhachev — potentially as soon as UFC 317 in June.