Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev are united in their opinion regarding who should be the next challenger for the lightweight title.
Earlier this year, Ilia Topuria, the featherweight champion, relinquished his belt and announced his ambition to compete at 155 pounds for the lightweight championship. This immediately sparked discussions about a potential high-profile fight between Makhachev and Topuria. However, the current lightweight champion has shown reluctance to grant a title shot to another champion coming up from the 145-pound division, especially after already defending his title twice against Alexander Volkanovski. Despite growing public interest in a Makhachev-Topuria matchup, Makhachev and his team are sticking to their stance.
“In my view, and it`s not necessarily about being more dangerous, but more competitive, I think Arman Tsarukyan is the better fight,” Khabib Nurmagomedov stated in a recent interview with Adam Zubayraev. “I believe Arman is a more serious contender than Topuria. Topuria is a good fighter at 145, but we haven`t seen him compete at 155 yet. I think Arman would provide a tougher challenge for Islam than Topuria.”
“I`m not sure what agreements Topuria and the UFC have, but from Islam’s perspective, he has already given two title opportunities to champions from the 145-pound division, winning both times. A third time seems excessive. Let`s consider Topuria moving up and immediately getting a title shot. If Islam defeats him, and then Topuria fights again and loses, he essentially becomes irrelevant at 155. Islam would have defeated someone unproven at 155. Therefore, for Islam`s legacy and career record, I understand his concerns. That`s why Islam suggests Topuria should first prove himself as a true contender in the lightweight division.”
Makhachev was initially scheduled to defend his title against Tsarukyan at UFC 311 in January. However, Tsarukyan withdrew from the fight on the day of the weigh-ins, leading to Renato Moicano stepping in as a replacement on short notice. Makhachev won that fight by first-round submission, setting a new record for consecutive lightweight title defenses in UFC history. Two of these defenses were against Alexander Volkanovski, the then-featherweight champion, with the first fight taking place in Volkanovski`s native Australia. It`s understandable why Makhachev is less enthusiastic about repeating this scenario.
“Islam will fight anyone,” Nurmagomedov clarified. “Islam himself has said he is willing to fight any opponent. But repeatedly offering Islam fights against 145-pound champions moving up to 155 – once, twice, and now potentially a third time – it’s becoming repetitive. Islam also deserves to have a say in this. He is the reigning champion and he has already fought a 145-pound champion, even traveling to Australia to fight him in his home country. That’s why our team believes Topuria is a respectable fighter and champion who has defeated strong opponents at featherweight, including Max Holloway. However, Holloway’s attempts at 155 pounds have not been successful.”
“Islam also has a limited timeframe left in his career. He will turn 34 soon. Therefore, Islam prefers to fight established, deserving contenders at 155, rather than Topuria, Volkanovski, or short-notice replacements like Renato Moicano. There is no personal animosity towards anyone, but if you are moving up a weight class, you need to earn your place. That’s essentially our position.”
Interestingly, Topuria is not the only champion considering a move up in weight. Makhachev, currently ranked as the top pound-for-pound fighter, has also expressed his desire to pursue a second title, even suggesting a move up to middleweight if necessary. However, with Belal Muhammad scheduled to defend his welterweight title against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 next month, Makhachev might not need to take such drastic steps.
“Islam wants to move up to 170 pounds, but fighting Belal is not an option because he is a close friend. We cannot prioritize titles over our relationships. That’s not how we operate,” Nurmagomedov explained.
“If Maddalena were to become the champion, Islam would have already agreed to fight him. However, I understand the UFC is waiting for the outcome of the May event between Belal and Maddalena. Personally, I hope Belal wins. But if Maddalena wins, I believe the UFC might offer Islam a fight with Maddalena at 170 pounds.”
