Ilia Topuria says he won't be stripped if he moves to welterweight for Islam

Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria revealed that if he moves up to welterweight to fight Islam Makhachev, he will not be stripped of his 145-pound title. Topuria stated he plans to continue defending the featherweight belt even if he takes a super-fight at a higher weight class. This suggests the UFC would allow him to hold onto his championship while pursuing a mega-fight with the lightweight titleholder Makhachev. The Spanish-Georgian champion appears to be negotiating favorable terms for a potential move up in weight. No timeline or official confirmation of the Makhachev bout has been provided.