Former featherweight and lightweight champion Ilia Topuria has released a statement that he will be stepping away from the UFC and focusing on an alleged blackmail and extortion situation. He claims that he is facing false domestic violence allegations and that the accuser will expose him if they are not financially compensated. Topuria vacated the lightweight title a few months ago for what he said were “personal reasons”. With this information coming out, it is clear why he had been separating himself from the company. These are very serious allegations that, no matter if they are true or false, need to be dealt with legally and away from the octagon.

With the lightweight belt being vacated, Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblet will fight for the interim belt at UFC 324 in the first UFC event on their new platform, Paramount+. It’s not clear when Ilia Topuria will return, as this could sideline him for a couple of months or the whole year, depending on the severity of the situation. This marks what could be a major shift in the division and even in the UFC, with one of the top stars and pound-for-pound fighters being out indefinitely. This could open up more opportunities for other lightweight stars and a major return when Topuria is ready to come back.

Topuria, in his statement, said that this decision does not come easy, but it is what is best for him and his family, specifically his kids. This has been an ongoing situation for the past few months that has had a toll on the champion. Being under severe pressure from the allegations, and having to decide on how to handle the situation, while also working around being one of the biggest champions in MMA at the moment. He said he wanted to remain silent, but he cannot allow accusations like this to create a narrative and harm his family.