Islam Makhachev is no longer holding back on Ilia Topuria! After successfully defending his lightweight title for the fourth time at UFC 311—UFC’s debut event at the Intuit Dome in California and the first event of 2025—Makhachev proved once again why he’s at the top of one of the toughest divisions in the sport. Despite facing some early setbacks on the fight card, the 155lbs kingpin stayed focused and delivered a commanding performance against the Brazilian phenom Renato Moicano.

However, Islam Makhachev‘s celebration quickly turned sour when featherweight champion Ilia Topuria called him out again, boldly declaring on X, “Islam, if I want to, I can finish you. If I want to, I can knock you out. I’ll make it look easy. See you soon 😉.” The situation became even more tense when Topuria congratulated his countryman, Merab Dvalishvili, for defeating Makhachev’s fellow Dagestani, Umar Nurmagomedov, in the co-headlining event. This came after Khabib Nurmagomedov’s earlier comment, where he had praised the Dagestani fighters’ supremacy against the rest of the world’s fighters.

‘El Matador’ added, “Merab, my brother, what a fighter you are! You make us feel so proud. This is what happens when Dagestani wrestling meets Georgian wrestling,” which further fueled tensions with Team Khabib and Makhachev. Topuria’s comments sparked a shift in Islam Makhachev’s attitude toward the Georgian-Spaniard, and at the post-fight press conference, Islam hinted at a possible fight with Topuria, saying, “All these opponents keep saying they want to finish me in the first or second round. I’ve already said, if you can make 155, you can step into the cage. Let’s talk then.”

Meanwhile, the 27-year-old Ilia Topuria has emerged as a new force to be reckoned with under Dana White’s promotion, quickly ascending to the top of the featherweight division by defeating high-profile opponents and MMA legends like

Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski, all while showcasing his formidable striking power. With his rapid rise, Topuria presents a compelling challenge for Islam Makhachev, who has expressed interest only in fighting “top guys.” So, why did Islam Makhachev dismiss Ilia Topuria in the past? Let’s find out.

Khabib Reveals why Islam Makhachev hesitates to give “Small” Ilia Topuria a shot

Dagestani fighters fear nothing but criticism, as Khabib Nurmagomedov shared last month on the Pound4Pound podcast. Khabib emphasized, “Islam has already given chances. People criticize, saying, ‘Oh, he fought Volkanovski twice,’ but the UFC pushed that fight. The first one was great, but why does Islam need to give a third chance to the 145-pound champion? Why? It’s unfair to the 155-pound division.”

Speaking with Henry Cejudo, Khabib was referring to Islam Makhachev’s two bouts with former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski in 2023. Initially, Makhachev was set to fight Charles Oliveira at UFC 284, but Oliveira’s injury brought Volkanovski in on short notice. Makhachev claimed victory in a grueling five-round battle. Later in the same year, at UFC 294, Makhachev swiftly knocked out Volkanovski. Despite these wins, the criticism intensified for the Dagestani fighter, who is now hesitant to face “smaller guys” like featherweight kingpin Ilia Topuria.

What’s your opinion on Ilia Topuria as the next challenger for Islam Makhachev? Could ‘El Matador’ be the ideal opponent for Makhachev, who may soon be nearing the end of his dominance in the lightweight division? A showdown with Topuria, a fight fans are eagerly anticipating, might just be the perfect blockbuster matchup.