Team Khabib Grills Ilia Topuria on Ugly Split with Wife Amidst Constant Disses from Spaniard

Ali Abdelaziz responds to Ilia Topuria’s controversial comments, defending Khabib Nurmagomedov and his Dagestani team.

Team Khabib Grills Ilia Topuria on Ugly Split with Wife Amidst Constant Disses from Spaniard

Ali Abdelaziz slams Ilia Topuria for disrespectful comments (via X)

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Ilia Topuria has built a reputation as one of the UFC’s most outspoken and provocative stars, never hesitating to target some of the sport’s biggest names. Beyond clashing with top contenders, the Georgian-Spanish fighter has also taken verbal shots at MMA legends such as Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The reigning 155lbs kingpin recently escalated the tension by making disrespectful comments about Team Khabib, drawing immediate attention from members of Nurmagomedov’s camp. In a recent interview, Topuria doubled down, labeling Khabib “extremely cocky,” reigniting an already simmering rivalry between the two sides.

He had also gone a step further by boldly claiming he would finish reigning welterweight champion Islam Makhachev in front of Nurmagomedov in a hypothetical future matchup. Those remarks did not sit well with Team Khabib, prompting manager Ali Abdelaziz to fire back with a sharp response on X, criticizing Topuria while also referencing his personal issues.

I’m a little bit confused. Everybody giving this guy space and respect to resolve his family problems. And should be. But when he come out talking about Habib, Islam, Arman, for no reason. And he’s not even fighting. I’m not sure if people should give him a pass anymore.

Ali Abdelaziz via X 

For the unversed, the Spaniard has been dealing with serious personal problems that forced him to temporarily step away from UFC amid domestic abuse allegations. Topuria denied those claims, calling them “entirely unfounded,” and alleged that his wife threatened to spread false allegations unless financial demands were met.

Topuria has mentioned that he is preserving evidence and pursuing legal action for extortion and other offences while trying to protect his children. Many fans and fighters, such as Max Holloway and Paddy Pimblett, supported Topuria’s decision to step away during personal turmoil.

However, provocative interviews like this sent the wrong message to opponents and shifted sympathy into criticism across divisions. Apart from Khabib Nurmagomedov, Topuria also mocked top lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan during recent interviews. 

Similar to Ali Abdelaziz, Tsarukyan strongly responded by mocking Topuria’s personal issues and questioning his competitive focus publicly. Topuria has repeatedly declined fighting the Armenian, building a narrative that he avoids wrestlers across weight classes. 

Meanwhile, Islam Makhachev has also mentioned not returning to lightweight, making a potential bout with the reigning 155lbs champion increasingly uncertain. Nevertheless, it would be interesting to see when the lightweight champion cleans up his personal issues and gets back to active fighting. 

Ilia Topuria gets a boxing challenge from Ryan Garcia 

Ilia Topuria has built his UFC career through boxing-heavy performances, scoring multiple knockout wins over ranked opponents using clean striking. His knockouts often come from precise counters, body-head combinations, and disciplined footwork, reflecting classical boxing fundamentals adapted effectively for MMA.

Ryan Garcia wants Ilia Topuria
Ryan Garcia wants Ilia Topuria (via X)

Statistically, Topuria lands at a high striking accuracy rate, absorbs minimal damage, and finishes fights rather than relying on judges. He has repeatedly stated he prefers entertaining fans, choosing aggressive striking exchanges instead of safe, wrestling-heavy strategies to secure decisions. In his last three bouts, he knocked out veterans such as Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira. 

He has also spoken about transitioning into professional boxing after UFC, confident that his boxing base can succeed outside mixed martial arts. Recently, boxing superstar Ryan Garcia talked about the ‘El Matador’ and called him out for a potential bout.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I would beat the (expletive) out of him too. Yeah, yeah, definitely. I think I would knock him out.

Ryan Garcia via Adin Ross stream

For the unversed, Garcia is a global boxing superstar, competing around the lightweight and super lightweight divisions with massive pay-per-view appeal. Ilia Topuria has previously fought at featherweight and currently fights at 155lbs in UFC, a comparable weight range, though MMA and boxing divisions differ structurally.

Transitioning to professional boxing could earn Topuria significantly more money, as elite boxing purses often exceed UFC pay structures.

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