The beef between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria has been going on for a long time. And with each passing day, new details emerging are making the rivalry even more interesting. Recently, Topuria claimed that he is all ready to face the UFC lightweight champion. ‘El Matador’ even stated confidently that he will surely KO Makhachev if the bout is made official. Meanwhile, Islam Makhachev seems to be quite dismissive about Topuria trying to get a lightweight title fight too soon.
Speaking about the possibility of the super fight taking place, Makhachev opined that Topuria must earn his chance of fighting for the lightweight crown.
Interacting with ‘Match TV’, Makhachev stated, “I heard [Ilia] has problems cutting weight… he’s probably already gained fat from the good life… Let him move up, and when he earns his chance we will definitely fight.”
🗣️ Islam Makhachev on Ilia Topuria:
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 14, 2025
“I heard [Ilia] has problems cutting weight… he’s probably already gained fat from the good life…
Let him move up, and when he earns his chance we will definitely fight.”
🎥 @MatchTV #UFC #MMApic.twitter.com/7RjHW94szK
Makhachev had earlier stated that Topuria still has a lot of work pending in the featherweight division. He has afterall, defended his title only once. Contenders like Diego Lopes and even Alexander Volkanovski are waiting in the wings to have a go at Topuria’s title. Meanwhile, the Spaniard has cited reasons why he must be fighting Islam Makhachev.
Ilia Topuria Doubles Down On Reason To Fight Islam Makhachev
Ilia Topuria has been fixated on getting that super fight confirmed with Makhachev. As a result, he has been trying hard to convince the UFC realm about why Makhachev is the ideal opponent for him at the moment. In a recent interaction on ‘Full Send Podcast’, Topuria detailed his opinions on the same.
“I don’t like to be a bully and fight with people that I know 100% that I’m gonna whoop his a**. I like to fight with people that the fans think that it’s gonna be very competitive… With Islam, I’m gonna have that,” said the UFC featherweight champion.
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Ilia Topuria explains why he wants to fight Islam Makhachev:
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 13, 2025
"I don't like to be a bully and fight with people that I know 100% that I'm gonna whoop his ass. I like to fight with people that the fans think that it's gonna be very competitive… With Islam, I'm gonna have that.… pic.twitter.com/A8EgNuyNCX
In addition, Topuria also hinted at a big announcement coming next week. While we don’t know what it might be, speculations regarding whether a Makhachev vs. Topuria matchup is on the cards are being extensively debated at the moment.
Also Read: UFC Commentator Urges Ilia Topuria To Follow Conor McGregor’s Path With Move To Lightweight
