Many fans eagerly anticipated a showdown between Ilia Topuria and the current pound-for-pound king, Islam Makhachev.
The recent outcomes at UFC 315 in Montreal significantly influenced the potential next steps at the top of the lightweight division.
With Jack Della Maddalena securing the welterweight title against Belal Muhammad, it opened the door for 155-pound champion Islam Makhachev to consider moving up in weight, especially now that his friend no longer holds the welterweight belt.
While Topuria is set to compete against Charles Oliveira for the vacant title, it`s evident that `El Matador` isn`t content to let Makhachev pass by without further comment.
The two prominent fighters have been engaged in a verbal spat, exchanging various statements since Topuria discussed his upcoming matchup with Oliveira at a press conference.
Ilia Topuria labels Islam Makhachev a `coward` in response to the former lightweight champion’s harsh words
Following Ilia Topuria`s remarks at a recent press conference, Islam Makhachev retorted with a biting message shared on social media.
Predictably, the former featherweight champion has now fired back at the UFC`s current top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter with his own social media statement.
Makhachev had argued that although both men vacated their belts to move up a division, their situations were not comparable because he had defeated top contenders first. He dismissed Topuria as a “nobody” in the lightweight division, claiming the undefeated star “ran away” from the top featherweights after defending his belt only once.
Topuria`s reply, coming from the fighter scheduled to compete for Makhachev`s former belt on June 28, did not delve into specifics. Instead, he simply accused the 33-year-old of avoiding him.
This is not the first instance of Topuria referring to the former champion as a “coward,” indicating how quickly a potential dream fight has escalated into a heated rivalry.
A portion of Topuria`s message reads: “The difference between you and me is that I am a man and you are a coward. I speak and fight. you talk and hide. Run away far, leaving no trace. Ты маленький пацан.” The concluding Russian phrase translates loosely to, “You`re a little boy.”
Ilia Topuria clearly knows how to generate excitement for fights
Ilia Topuria has garnered varied opinions since his arrival in the UFC, largely due to his undeniable self-confidence.
Khamzat Chimaev commented on his earlier impressions of Topuria, describing him as a “decent, solid guy,” countering the perception some people might have.
With Islam Makhachev potentially moving up to welterweight, the immediate clash with `El Matador` might not happen. However, this doesn`t rule out the possibility of the fight occurring in the future.
Topuria`s outspoken comments during his press conference and social media exchanges will only serve to amplify the anticipation and magnitude of that matchup should it eventually take place.
