Middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev has stated that he wants to defend his championship only once before he makes his way towards the light heavyweight division to try and become a two-division champion. This raises a question that has befallen many champions, where they have only a single title defense before they get to surpass everyone in a different division. How many times should a champion have to defend their belt before they go on the move?
One title defense does not seem like enough. Lightweight champion Ilia Topuria just recently did what Chimaev is trying to accomplish. He defeated Alexander Volkanovski to claim the featherweight gold and then went on to knock out Max Holloway for his first title defense. He then skipped the line and immediately got a chance to fight for the lightweight belt, where he would KO Charles Olivera after former champion Islam Makhachev vacated the title. There was a debate over whether Topuria deserved to pass other fighters who have been dominating at lightweight and have earned their right to get a championship opportunity. Arman Tsarukyan, for example, has proved that he is a champion-level fighter and lost a spot to Topuria, who had not even fought a top-five fighter in the lightweight division.
The other side of the coin is that Ilia is one of the biggest box office attractions in the UFC, and he is slowly becoming an all-time great fighter despite his limited title defenses. This is where entertainment and marketing play a role in creating fights. He is more popular than most of the lightweight roster and is a champion. He was also facing a former champion and fan favorite in Charles Olivera. The star power mixed with the legacy of the two fighters made for an exciting brawl, which ended in a Topuria win. Ilia Topuria has also spoken about how he wants to move to welterweight soon after he defends his lightweight gold. Again, there are people at welterweight waiting for an opportunity so it doesn’t seem right for Ilia to get the title shot despite his success at other weight classes.
Khamzat Chimaev has not even defended his title once and is sitting out currently due to an apparent injury. It doesn’t seem fair for him to go right into the light heavyweight spotlight with a single title defense. Many think a champion should clear the division first and have multiple title defenses before it is an option to move up or down. Again, star power, weight cutting, and the politics of the sports world play a part in who gets those opportunities. Should champions have to start lower in the rankings and work their way up in a new division or do they get first pick to buy in for a belt? This is the question that will remain being asked as more and more champions are asking to change divisions to improve their legacy.
Have two division champion on your resume is a great way to find yourself in the hall of fame so the mindset from the champion on a legacy perspective does make sense. Alex Pereira, Amanda Nunes, and Ilia Topuria have all talked specifically about becoming three division champions as well. The UFC will have to decide whether their champions take priority or if the contenders get a say in who gets that next title shot.
