The UFC lightweight division is in a state of flux, and Islam Makhachev is at the center of it all. With limited options left at 155 lbs, the reigning champion has been eyeing to move up. However, there has also been a buzz about a different challenge centered around Ilia Topuria, the featherweight champion.
Topuria has been chasing Makhachev for a fight for quite some time now. But the lightweight champ has been ignoring those calls, claiming he’s not interested in fighting smaller guys anymore.
But after Dana White announced that Topuria would vacate his featherweight belt, Islam’s longtime coach, Javier Mendez, has weighed in on the possibility of the fight happening. Speaking with Submission Radio on YouTube, Mendez made it clear that Makhachev would not hesitate to accept the bout if the UFC offers it.
“All Islam needs is two months to prepare for anybody. He’s not gonna care who he fights,” Mendez said, insisting that opponents do not matter for Islam anymore since he is that good.
“We’re champion, we’re #1 for a reason. We’re not supposed to reject any person they throw in front of you,” added Mendez.
The coach emphasized what Islam and Khabib Nurmagomedov have been claiming for years now: That they would beat even King Kong if he made 155 lbs on the day of the weigh-in.
All that nonchalance aside, with Makhachev running out of opponents and Topuria proving himself as an elite fighter, a clash between the two could be one of the biggest matchups in recent UFC history.
The stylistic contrast between Makhachev’s dominant grappling and Topuria’s lethal striking makes for an intriguing battle. As the speculation grows, UFC will have to make a move to make this potential blockbuster a reality.
Would Makhachev take down another rising star, or would Topuria go home with a legendary three-fight winning streak? He has defeated Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski already.
Although there is no confirmation from White or the UFC yet, journalist Ariel Helwani believes it is the kind of rivalry the promotion needs, and has been looking for.
Makhachev vs. Topuria is like Conor McGregor vs. Khabib
According to Helwani, a bout between Makhachev and Topuria could be in the works for one of the UFC’s biggest annual pay-per-view events. In a YouTube video, Helwani stated that the fight might even take place during International Fight Week.
Makhachev already has a legion of followers from Dagestan. And with his recent successes in the octagon and social media presence, the Dagestani champion has garnered a global following as well.
And Topuria has become a cultural icon in Spain. So, the two fighting could very well break some gate records for the UFC.
“That is a mammoth, mammoth fight, that’s a massive fight. And the kind of spark, the kind of big-time fight that the UFC seems to have been searching for over the last couple of months,” said Helwani.
It has reminded fans of the rivalry between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. However, it doesn’t seem like Ilia would be throwing chairs at people’s buses and getting arrested for no good reason. That said, both Islam and Ilia have had a lot to say about each other.
And Ilia has a good track record of playing the villain extremely well. So it won’t come as a surprise if he manages to get under Islam’s skin. How Makhachev reacts to it is another matter altogether though.
