UFC featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria poked the hornet’s nest yesterday with allegations against Usman Nurmagomedov of Team Khabib. Well, as it turns out more teammates of Usman have come out to defend the Bellator lightweight champion after the Spaniard threw a hammer at young Dagestani by accusing the Russian of drug/steroid abuse.
Following ‘El Matador’s’ comments, Usman’s teammates, Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Tagir Ulanbekov hit back, warning him of dangerous ramifications.
Abubakar went on Twitter and just straight up issued what can only be understood as a threat.
“Iliya Topuria, why do you need all this? Fly to me, let’s rest on the shores of the Indian ocean.”
Meanwhile UFC flyweight contender and Team Khabib’s close associate, Tagir Ulanbekov also chimed in with his own tweet, essentially issuing a cold warning to the featherweight king
“Ilia, I advise you to put aside your dividends and find a good dentist. Your dental structure will be affected at the first meeting.”
Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Tagir Ulanbekov respond to Ilia Topuria's recent comments targeted at teammates Islam Makhachev and Usman Nurmagomedov 😳
"Ilia, I advise you to put aside your dividends and find a good dentist. Your dental structure will be affected at the first… pic.twitter.com/w0CXpZHjmK
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 4, 2024
The feud started when Usman took a sharp dig at the Spaniard, posting a story asking if ‘El Matador’ has ever gotten into a fight on the streets.
Topuria clapped back harshly, slapping steroid accusations, reminding the lightweight of his earlier stint with the banned substance. On top of that, the newly crowned featherweight king also called out the UFC lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, expressing his desire to fight the Russian at 155 lbs.
Ilia calls out Islam for lightweight showdown
Slated to face ‘The Blessed’ Max Holloway at UFC 308 this month, Ilia Topuria is readying for his first title defense but it seems he’s picked up a rather intriguing fight with team Khabib.
As it turns out, Topuria’s ambitions are not just limited to the 145 lb category. Having fought at lightweight against Jai Herbert, Ilia now eyes some facetime with the champion.
Responding to a fan question online, the 27-year-old expressed his desire to return to lightweight, targeting a match-up with Islam-
“The truth is that of course I [see myself fighting Islam Makhachev in the lightweight division]. He’s a great fighter. Sometimes he talks too much, sometimes not. But we can always resolve it in the octagon. Not in the streets, because then I will have to pay for his medical bills.”
Oozing confidence, the Spaniard also put forth a cold warning to the Dagestani, warning him of serious repercussions if they met in the streets. Easier said than done, however, since the Spaniard has to deal with a rampaging Max Holloway first.
