Dana White Explains UFC’s Stance on Double Champions After Ilia Topuria Vacates Title

With Ilia Topuria officially vacating his featherweight title, UFC CEO Dana White has made it clear: the organization is fine with fighters chasing double-champ status, but only if they remain active in both divisions.

During a post-event press conference following UFC Fight Night Seattle, White addressed the topic, reaffirming that while the UFC allows simultaneous champions, the expectation is for them to defend both belts frequently.

“Unless you think you can defend your title, I have no problem with it,” White stated. “If a guy believes he can hold two belts and defend both, then go for it. But you better be busy.”

Throughout UFC history, only a select few have held championships in two weight classes at the same time: Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, and Henry Cejudo. However, none of them defended both belts simultaneously for long before vacating one.

White used longtime light heavyweight champion Jon Jones as an example of how a fighter should transition between weight classes. “Jon dominated at 205 for years before moving to heavyweight. That made sense. But if you’re trying to hold two belts at once, you need to defend them both.”

The discussion about dual champions arose when Topuria, who secured the featherweight belt last year, signaled his desire to move up to lightweight. Rather than hold up the division, he decided to vacate.

White also confirmed that the philosophy hasn’t changed, but decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. “Take Weili Zhang, for example,” White said. “She’s done almost everything in her division, and if she wants to move up and go for a second belt, I’m open to that. But again, you need to stay active.”

With Topuria now focused on lightweight, the featherweight division will move forward with a new title fight in the near future. Meanwhile, fans will watch closely to see if the next UFC fighter attempting champ-champ status can meet White’s expectations.