Ilia Topuria has his sights set on Islam Makhachev`s UFC championship, believing that the current titleholder`s team is attempting to avoid a potential matchup.
Khabib Nurmagomedov, a close friend and mentor of Makhachev, recently argued that Arman Tsarukyan is more deserving of the next title shot than Topuria. While it appears Topuria, who recently relinquished his featherweight title to move up in weight, is on a path to face Makhachev, nothing has been officially confirmed. Nurmagomedov has suggested Topuria should secure another victory in the 155-pound division before contending for the championship.
Topuria addressed Nurmagomedov`s remarks on social media, suggesting that Nurmagomedov`s statements are simply an attempt to shield his fighter from a challenging opponent.
“Khabib is aware that I am the one who will take the belt from Islam,” Topuria stated. “That`s the only reason he doesn`t want Islam to fight me.”
Topuria`s recent performances certainly build a strong case for an immediate title fight with Makhachev. After an undefeated 6-0 run in the UFC, including a lightweight victory against Jai Herbert, Topuria reached the pinnacle of the featherweight division by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 and then Max Holloway at UFC 308.
These wins against two MMA legends marked Topuria as the first fighter to defeat Volkanovski in the 145-pound weight class and the first ever to finish Holloway with strikes.
He might indeed jump ahead of Tsarukyan in the title contender queue, especially after Tsarukyan missed his opportunity to challenge Makhachev in January. Makhachev previously defeated Tsarukyan in his UFC debut back in 2019, but Tsarukyan then went on an impressive 9-1 streak to earn a rematch. Unfortunately, a back injury forced Tsarukyan to withdraw from UFC 311, disappointing UFC CEO Dana White, who indicated Tsarukyan would need to “fight his way back” to a title shot.
Makhachev`s future plans could depend on the outcome of the UFC 315 main event between welterweight champion Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena. Makhachev has repeatedly expressed interest in moving to welterweight to become a two-division champion, but his close friendship with Muhammad has been a barrier.
If Della Maddalena were to defeat Muhammad, it could pave the way for Makhachev to move to welterweight and immediately become a top contender. This scenario would likely leave Topuria to face another prominent fighter at 155 pounds, possibly for either a vacant or interim lightweight title.
