When you flatline two of your division’s all-time greats back to back, a coveted spot in the MMA annals becomes undisputed. We are of course talking about Ilia Topuria!
The Spanish-Georgian exudes a swagger and faith that many fans have compared to Conor McGregor, and his stellar UFC career supports the hype. While Topuria has delivered on his promises till now, there’s another bold claim in the making: if he ever faced Islam Makhachev, he would be the first man to submit the lightweight phenom.
Considering Islam Makhachev’s status as one of the best grapplers in MMA, this is no small statement. The Dagestani, who recently addressed the prospect of fighting Topuria, had a measured response. An Instagram clip shared by @za.khabiba captured Makhachev’s thoughts on the matter.
He said, “We will have some kind of conversation. He constantly talks about me and He probably wants to tell me something. I don’t understand what he wants to tell me. Let’s step outside and talk.”
Makhachev added that while he was willing to fight Topuria if the promotion set it up, he wasn’t particularly interested from a sporting perspective. Explaining his reasoning, the 155lbs kingpin said, “He fights in a different weight class. If I defeat him, what will it give me? I don’t win the belt. Everyone will say I beat a fighter from a lower weight class again. That’s it. But if people want to see him lose, we can make that happen.”
Islam Makhachev’s long-time coach, Javier Mendez, has also weighed in on Ilia Topuria’s bold claim. The AKA head coach Mendez responded thoughtfully to the challenge, recognizing the significance of Topuria’s statement but also expressing caution. In an interview, Mendez acknowledged the magnitude of Topuria’s words, stating, “To be the first one to submit Islam is a big thing to throw out there. Let’s see if the fight happens first.”
However, he didn’t seem overly impressed by Ilia Topuria’s confidence, especially considering the quality of opponents the Spanish fighter has faced so far. Let’s see what else the legendary coach had to say.