Ilia Topuria Willing to Push 170 Pounds To Make Islam Makhachev Super Fight Happen

Ilia Topuria envisions scenario in which he logs titles in three UFC divisions, and it goes through former 155-pound champ Islam Makhachev.

Ilia Topuria Willing to Push 170 Pounds To Make Islam Makhachev Super Fight Happen

Ilia Topuria still has one eye on Islam Makhachev after their paths didn’t cross (Source: X)

Yes, it’s official! Another PPV super fight bit the dust for the 2025 season as Jon Jones is now officially retired. His stalling the ebb of the UFC heavyweight division and not making a super fight was the hot sauce of MMA town. Before that, Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria opted for a move up in weights, and their skill-to-skill test for a possible PPV title headliner never happened as well.

But fret not; the always resolute, overconfident, and extremely cocky but on-point Ilia Topuria has made it a point that he will match-up with the Dagestani. “El Matador” relinquished his 145-pound title for a second coming as a lightweight champ and to fight Islam Makhachev in a stiff skills test and proper banger.

However, Makhachev pulled a slick one (‘ducked’ per the Spaniard and a few others) and found his opening for double-division dreams after UFC 315 PPV headliner. With him moving to 170 pounds, Topuria now contends for his vacant belt this summer. However, at this point, he is willing to chase him down further, given that it also serves him to become UFC’s first triple-division champ:

To be honest, ...I wanted to face [Islam Makhachev] because he was the guy who was dominating anyone and everyone...[as 155-pounder]...But at the end of the day, I can't control what they do. The only thing I can control is what I do. So I wanted to move up, ...I wanted to fight for the title of this division. That's what I'm doing. We'll see how he does in the welterweight division, if he wins the title and I win the title in the lightweight division… If Islam becomes the world welterweight champion, for sure I'm going to push for that shot and I will move to the welterweight division.
Ilia Topuria ahead of UFC 317 PPV pre-fight Open Workouts)

Ilia Topuria reiterated on Friday’s Open Workouts that he is sticking with his prediction of winning at the UFC 317 PPV main event. If Makhachev snags welterweight gold as well, he is willing to push the limits and challenge him. Some UFC peers have given shock statements about how the Spanish-Georgian boxer touts heavy bone density like competition welterweights already.

That is, only to say if Makhachev himself doesn’t do another troll job and takes up his dream of a 185-pound shift. He does sport a big and buff natural hydration and has grown some friction with reigning champ Dricus Du Plessis. Unlike the heavyweight class, though, Topuria has made sure that this super scrap isn’t jammed forever in a limbo.

But the buck wouldn’t just peacefully end there; the ever-coky Topuria later veered to an already brewing UFC lightweight rivalry. He even hooked it up as a better and bigger matchup right now than Islam Makhachev, who he thinks Dagestan doesn’t even care about!

Ilia Topuria name-drops Paddy Pimblett feud as way bigger than the Islam Makhachev matchup

Topuria has had a long-running clash with lightweight Paddy Pimblett. Scousers don’t get knocked out (and some others), and the snappy Pimblett made it a point that Topuria won’t be able to. The duo has had quite a social media banter going on for ages.

Ilia Topuria teases a current fight, bigger than Islam Makhachev
Ilia Topuria teases a current fight, bigger than Islam Makhachev (Source: X)

Pimblett cracked #15 in the official Athletes’ Listings with a SOTY-worthy submission victory over veteran King Green. Then he cracked the top 10 and cemented his rising stock as a contender with a win over the more explosive and weathered Michael Chandler.

Ilia Topuria is all but untested at 155 pounds with just one ballot fight long back. With KO wins over brand names like Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, the former champ carried forward for a straight title shot. But if he wins and is eager, a Pimblett-shaped matchup would make all the sense in the world.

Roping in recent rival Islam Makhachev, Topuria thus doubled down on wanting to challenge Pimblett for a bigger fight shortly.

I think that it’s going to be even bigger, me against Paddy than me against Islam...because the one who no onI think that it’s going to be even bigger, me against Paddy than me against Islam...because the one who no one gives a fu*k— about him, that’s Islam. No one gives a fu*k... Even in Dagestan, when he’s fighting, the people go to sleep and they watch his next fight in the morning… Even at home, who gives a fu*k— about Islam? He doesn’t even know how to pronounce two words.
Ilia Topuria to Kevin Iole

Topuria doubled down on the baselessness of the former champ’s reluctance to face him, and that he’d face him one way or the other. He also promised to become UFC’s first triple-champ once again. As of now, Makhachev is unbooked, and it is highly reported he’d return for UFC’s usual October PPV slot in Abu Dhabi.

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