Major Shakeup Hits Ilia Topuria’s Camp Ahead of UFC 317

UFC 317 is shaping up to be one of the year’s most pivotal events, headlined by a high-stakes battle for lightweight gold. Ilia Topuria, the former featherweight champion, is making his long-awaited move to 155 pounds, and he’s not easing into the waters. He’ll meet one of the division’s most dangerous finishers, Charles Oliveira, in what promises to be a violent clash of styles and championship-caliber grit. But just weeks before fight night, we’ve learned that the rising lightweight challenger will have to adjust on the fly—his camp has undergone a major change.

According to Giorgi Kokiashvili, MMA journalist who broke the news on X, Ilia Topuria and his brother Aleksandre have officially parted ways with the Climent Club after 13 years. The split, described as mutual and respectful, marks the end of a long relationship between the Topuria brothers and the gym that helped mold them. Kokiashvili clarified that Javi Climent, the brothers’ boxing coach, remains in their corner and was never officially affiliated with the Climent Club. No bad blood is reported—the fighters now reside in Madrid, while Climent Club continues its work out of Alicante.