Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cOver the past several weeks, I have made the difficult decision to temporarily step away from defending my title,\u201d Topuria wrote.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was not a decision I took lightly. However, when circumstances arise that threaten your personal integrity, your family, and your reputation, there comes a point when you must address them directly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn recent months, I have been subjected to severe and unacceptable pressure, including threats to disseminate false allegations of domestic abuse unless financial demands were met.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese allegations are entirely unfounded. The truth is not a matter of opinion – it is a matter of evidence.<\/p>\n
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 17: (R-L) Ilia Topuria of Germany punches Alexander Volkanovski of Australia in the UFC featherweight championship fight during the UFC 298 event at Honda Center on February 17, 2024 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cAll relevant evidence has been carefully preserved and documented, including audio recordings, written communications, witness statements, and video material.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis evidence has been submitted to the appropriate judicial authorities in order to pursue legal action for attempted extortion, falsification of evidence, misappropriation of funds and personal property, and multiple threats.\u201d<\/p>\n
Topuria explained that he chose to stay quiet at first to safeguard his family\u2019s privacy, but said he could no longer stand by while \u201cfalse narratives\u201d continued to spread.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany individuals have faced similar situations, and time and again, the legal system has ultimately clarified the facts,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, I am stepping forward not only for my family and myself, but also to demonstrate that no one should be forced to yield to intimidation, manipulation, or fear.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose who know me can attest that I have never engaged in violence of any kind, and that my life and career have always been guided by discipline, respect, and integrity.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have full confidence in the judicial process and will allow the legal system to determine the facts based on evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Topuria\u2019s revelation didn\u2019t sit well with former foe Bryce Mitchell, who wasted little time firing shots at the champion.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat b***h puts his hands on a woman, I\u2019d rather not see my Dad than have my Dad there beating on my mom. That\u2019ll get you killed around these parts, son,\u201d Mitchell said in an Instagram post.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just had to let you know, you\u2019re a straight up b***h for that. Your brother\u2019s a b***h too, I\u2019ll fight him. I\u2019ll beat his a**e You got lucky I was sick or I would\u2019ve beat your a**e. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t deserve to see your kids, son, because you put your hands on their mother. You\u2019re a coward. That s**t is sickening.\u201d<\/p>\n
Earlier in the year, Topuria claimed the vacant lightweight title earlier this year, etching his name into history as just the 10th fighter to hold UFC belts in multiple divisions. <\/p>\n
A first title defense was expected early next year, but now his return is on hold \u2014 and it may not last long.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s no secret that I\u2019ve always wanted to try my hand at boxing,\u201d Topuria told Marca. \u201cBut I think something I\u2019ve always applied to my life is that if you try to catch two rabbits, you end up catching neither. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo, I want to finish my story in mixed martial arts, in MMA, first, and once I\u2019m done, then make my complete transition to boxing. I can\u2019t be preparing for an MMA fight, then leave, prepare for a boxing match, come back… I don\u2019t think that would be very professional, would it?<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause boxing requires a completely different approach, very, very, very different training that I have to adapt to. Obviously, the timing is different, and well, it\u2019s not even an octagon; it\u2019s a ring, and I would have to adapt to that, which takes time, like everything in life. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo, right now, in mixed martial arts, when I finish\u2014which I don\u2019t think will be too long, to be honest\u2014I\u2019ll make my transition to boxing, and I\u2019m going to surprise more than a few people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Merab stunned by Yan in Instant Classic | 02:59<\/p>\n
Topuria\u2019s absence from MMA prompted UFC boss Dana White to make the interim lightweight belt available.<\/p>\n
As a result, Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje are set to clash for the interim UFC lightweight title at UFC 324 on January 24.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria has revealed why he\u2019s stepping away from the sport, claiming he\u2019s facing a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":347971,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[444],"tags":[49,48,641,638,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-347970","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mma","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-fighting","11":"tag-mma","12":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=347970"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347970\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/347971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=347970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=347970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=347970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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