Ilia Topuria Asks Islam Makhachev to Go ‘Sheep Herding in Dagestan’ if Welterweight Dreams Fail

UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria hilariously responds to an interviewer asking him about Islam Makhachev's future if he loses at UFC 322.

Ilia Topuria Asks Islam Makhachev to Go ‘Sheep Herding in Dagestan’ if Welterweight Dreams Fail

Ilia Topuria takes a shot at Islam Makhachev (via MiddleEasy, Instagram)

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When divisions overlap and champions migrate between weight classes, the entire matchmaking board can be redrawn in a single night. Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev now sit inside that moving window where one result can collapse or create multi-division storylines. With Makhachev fighting for the welterweight title, Topuria reveals the stipulation that he would face if he loses to Jack Della Maddalena.

Topuria captured the vacant UFC lightweight title at UFC 317 by knocking out Charles Oliveira after Makhachev vacated the belt to pursue a move to 170 pounds. Topuria previously held the featherweight title and now occupies rare dual-champion territory by merit. However, the Georgian Spanish champion has been vocal regarding what would ensue if Makhachev were to come back to the 155-pound division.

Makhachev is set to fight Maddalena on the main event of the UFC 322 card in November. Topuria initially moved up from the featherweight division in hopes of challenging Makhachev for the 155-pound belt. However, the fight never materialized because the Dagestani star moved up to challenge Maddalena. Topuria recently spoke about what would happen if Makhachev lost against Maddalena.

If Islam loses, he can go back to Dagestan to his farm and continue herding his sheep. But if he wins, I will move up 100%.

Ilia Topuria via Bettson Sport

Topuria has been publicly clear that a move up to welterweight is on the table if Makhachev wins at 170, framing the crossover as a contingent option rather than a fixed demand. That conditional posture aligns with the UFC’s historical practice of activating cross-division bouts only when outcomes line up. However, the former 145-pound champion has been warned of the size difference he would face at welterweight.

Topuria has also been constantly trash-talking Makhachev whenever a potential superfight is being questioned. He has revealed that if the Makhachev fight were to happen, it would not just be for the title but also for the #1 pound-for-pound ranking. El Matador’s aggressiveness has fans replicating elements of the Conor McGregor–Khabib Nurmagomedov rivalry, which remains the biggest MMA pay-per-view event.

If Islam Makhachev wins, the promotion retains a mega fight built on active belts and engineered narrative friction. If he loses, Ilia Topuria will have to defend the belt against the winner of the Arman Tsarukyan vs Dan Hooker fight in Qatar, as Dana White has confirmed it to be the No.1 contender fight. If Makhachev’s welterweight gamble succeeds, a lightweight bout against Topuria would be undeniable.

Daniel Cormier compares Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria to one of the greatest rivalries in MMA history

In every competitive era, specific pairings escalate beyond the cage and become commercial engines for promotion. The interaction window between Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev has begun to generate significant interest. Their timelines already intersect through belts, movement across divisions, and collision incentives, much like the 2018 rivalry between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Daniel Cormier weighs in on Ilia Topuria vs Islam Makhachev
Daniel Cormier weighs in on Ilia Topuria vs Islam Makhachev (via Bloody Elbow, MSN, Playoffs)

UFC legend Daniel Cormier evaluated the dynamic through that historical lens, identifying the possibility that their rivalry could function as a ceiling-breaker rather than a standard booking. The framing places their potential matchup not as an isolated grudge but as a lever that could elevate both athletes commercially and competitively inside the UFC ecosystem like it did for McGregor and Nurmagomedov.

I think Ilia Topuria and Islam might be that for each other, so while you might not like each other, you may need each other to go to the next level. I appreciate Conor for helping Khabib achieve the life that he has today, because before, we all loved Khabib on an MMA level — right after Conor McGregor, he was a global superstar.

Daniel Cormier via The Pound 4 Pound Show

Khabib vs McGregor at UFC 229 produced the most significant pay-per-view return in UFC history at roughly 2.4 million buys, showing how a rivalry with belts, stakes, and hostility can reset revenue ceilings. If Makhachev wins at 170 and this pairing is activated, Topuria–Islam becomes the UFC’s next test case for chasing that class of number.

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