Ilia Topuria faced a brief moment of uncertainty ahead of the biggest fight of his career.
Topuria is set to headline UFC 317 this Saturday at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, where he’ll square off against former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira for the vacant 155-pound title in a high-stakes showdown during International Fight Week.
“El Matador” has exuded confidence leading up to UFC 317, not only in his conditioning but also in his belief that he’s on the brink of becoming a two-division UFC champion. That self-assurance was on full display during the official UFC 317 weigh-ins held Friday morning, where he was the first fighter to step on the scale.
However, when Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Jeff Mullen called out Topuria’s weight, he initially announced it as 155.5 pounds, half a pound over the championship limit for a lightweight title bout.
Initially, no one appeared to notice the discrepancy, and Topuria went ahead with posing for the cameras. Moments later, however, he was asked to remain on the scale. Mullen returned, adjusted it, and then corrected himself, announcing the official weight as 155 pounds.
Fans React To Ilia Topuria’s Weigh-In Confusion At UFC 317
Ilia Topuria’s brief weigh-in glitch during the UFC 317 proceedings sparked a wave of fan reactions online. While some called for the Nevada commission to retire the old-school mechanical scale in favor of digital equipment for more accurate readings, others used the moment as fuel for playful jabs and light-hearted trolling.
“El Matador” captured the featherweight title with a stunning knockout of Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February 2024, then cemented his dominance by finishing Max Holloway in emphatic fashion at UFC 308 that October. However, after establishing himself as the division’s top force, he chose to vacate the belt this past February to make a full-time move to lightweight.
Ilia Topuria enters UFC 317 with a flawless 8-0 record inside the Octagon and a perfect 16-0 mark overall. Of those victories, eight have come by knockout and six via submission.
