UFC and ESPN analyst Din Thomas was shocked by Ilia Topuria’s decision to vacate the featherweight title.
Working his way up the ranks with an undefeated record, ‘El Matador’ launched himself from contender to superstar in 2024 with a title-winning performance against Alexander Volkanovksi followed by an impressive third-round knockout of division staple Max ‘Blessed’ Holloway at UFC 308 in October.
But just when it looked like Topuria was on the cusp of becoming the best ever at 145, he pulled the rug out from under his featherweight run.