Current featherweight champion Ilia Topuria returns to action in a week’s time at the UFC 308 event. ‘El Matador’ will be taking on one of the elite strikers in the division, Max Holloway, for his first title defense. While the champion is preparing for his next fight, he has found a particular interest in Islam Makhachev.

The 27-year-old has been constantly calling out the lightweight champion and has shown his interest in fighting him. Makhachev is currently recovering from his injury and will return to action soon. However, their rivalry takes a new turn after Topuria has some words for his family members.

Ilia Topuria shows special liking towards Islam Makhachev and his cousins

Ilia Topuria has quickly established himself as a mega star in the UFC, boasting an undefeated record since his debut. The 27-year-old’s impressive skill set and determination have many believing he is on the path to greatness. However, Topuria has set his sights on an even more ambitious goal: becoming a two-division champion.

To achieve this, he has publicly challenged Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title. While it might be surprising that Topuria has yet to defend his featherweight title, his unwavering confidence in his abilities suggests that he believes he can simultaneously dominate both divisions.

He recently sat down to chat with Ariel Helwani on his show and shared his plans for the future. The clip was shared on the Red Corner MMA page on Instagram, and it seems this is the beginning of something new. Going by his records, ‘El Matador’ seems unfazed by any opponent before him. However, he has now found some special love for Makhachev’s cousins as well. During the video, he made it clear that he doesn’t have anything personal against Makhachev but only wants to win the title. But the Spanish-Georgian had some words for Makhachev’s extended family.

He stated, “I don’t have anything personal with him. The only point is that he’s the world champion in the lightweight division. I wanna move up to the lightweight division. I wanna face him in the future. I said something like ‘ I want to face him in the Octagon ‘ and all his cousins came out ‘When I see you in the street. When I see you around, I’m gonna do this and that ‘. Oh, shut the f..k up. You are not gonna do anything. So shut up.” 

Topuria’s callouts have not gone well with Islam Makhachev’s teammate and friend, Umar Nurmagomedov. The #2 ranked bantamweight contender has never been a massive fan of Topuria and his antiques. However, with the 27-year-old openly calling out the lightweight champion, Nurmagomedov couldn’t stop himself from sharing his opinion on the whole.

Umar Nurmagomedov reminds Ilia Topuria of the challenges ahead of him

Ilia Topuria’s next UFC outing against perennial title challenger Max Holloway promises to be a challenging test. Holloway’s exceptional conditioning and striking prowess make him a formidable opponent. His barbaric beating of Justin Gaethje at the iconic UFC 300 is a testament to his abilities. This is one of the reasons that Topuria’s decision to focus on the lightweight division has been questioned, particularly by Umar Nurmagomedov. In an interview with Submission Radio, ‘Young Eagle’ expressed his opinion on the matter.

According to him, Topuria should first focus on his division and then think about him being a dual champion. He said, “I think for Ilia Topuria no need for this. He does not need this and he has his division and he has to build some legacy, do some name on his weight, you know. He just become champion, you have to defend your title a couple of times, even one time, please.

Nurmagomedov further advised ‘El Matador’ to deal with the up-and-coming challengers in the featherweight division. He added, “Stay focused on your division, he has Movsar [Evloev], and Aljamain Sterling on the way. He have right now Max Holloway and when you have good fights in your division, be quiet, beat everybody… Like he clean his division and then he wants to come to up I understand”.

Currently, the fans are waiting to witness the upcoming fight at UFC 308. Both Topuria and Holloway are desperate to knock each other out and have no love lost between them. So, who do you think will win the fight between the two? Let us know about your picks in the comments below.