UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria has been chasing a fight with Islam Makhachev and has vowed to submit him in front of his friend and UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov. He has been firing shots and calling out Makhachev multiple times for the potential fight.
However, in his recent interview, Ilia Topuria has gone one step ahead in firing shots and takes sharp jabs at ‘The Eagle’.
Ilia Topuria Fires Back at Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Reputation and Warns Islam Makhachev
In his recent interview on the “EldoberdamMMA” YouTube channel, Ilia Topuria shared his thoughts, emphasizing that his ground game is underrated and that he is really great on the ground. However, he believes that fans dislike ground fighting, so he rarely engages in ground fighting in his fights.
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“I consider a strong point to be on the ground. I believe that on the ground, I can perform in any way that I can finish you from any position, but it’s true that lately I’ve accepted that’s not what the audience wants to see as much.” Ilia Topuria said, translated to English.
Ilia Topuria Doubles Down on Promise of Makhachev Submission
Furthermore, Topuria shared that the narrative will shift if he fights Islam Makhachev, and he vows to submit Makhachev in front of his friend, Khabib Nurmagomedov, while also taking shots at UFC Hall of Famer by calling him cocky and arrogant.
“Although with Islam, maybe it’s something the public does want to see, right? Dominating him standing up gives him a few good shots where needed, and then submits him in the corner in front of Khabib.” Topuria added. “Who [Khabib] is so cocky and arrogant that I would really love to submit Islam in front of him, and if Khabib wants to step in afterward, I’d gladly put my foot on his head too.”
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Ilia Topuria also warns Nurmagomedov that if he comes against him afterward, he will fight him. The reigning lightweight champion has been out of action since capturing the 155-pound title at UFC 317 in June. He recently shared that he will be out due to his ongoing divorce process and may return in late 2026.
Why Highly-Anticipated Ilia Topuria vs Islam Makhachev Fight Never Materialized
Ilia Topuria has been calling out Islam Makhachev since his first UFC featherweight title defence at UFC 308, where he became the first person to knock out Max Holloway. Since then, he moved up, vacating the 145-lb belt, and wanted to fight for the lightweight title against Islam Makhachev.
Makhachev made it clear that he wanted to become a two-division champion but was not moving to welterweight, as his friend Belal Muhammad was then the champion, and he made it clear that he wouldn’t fight him. However, things changed when Muhammad lost his title to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315. As a result, Makhachev moved up in the division by vacating the lightweight title in pursuit of a second belt.
Therefore, the Topuria vs. Makhachev matchup couldn’t come to fruition. ‘El Matador’ then fought against Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC lightweight title and captured the title via first-round knockout at UFC 317. Makhachev also became a double champion at UFC 322 via a unanimous decision victory over Maddalena.
Will Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev Eventually Happen?
However, recently, Makhachev expressed interest in a fight against Ilia Topuria after becoming welterweight champion, but stated that he won’t cut down to 155 pounds and wants a big payday, as the reigning lightweight champion continues to fire shots at Makhachev and Nurmagomedov. It will remain to be seen what sharp response comes from welterweight and ‘The Eagle’ in the next few days.
