When you flatline two of your division’s all-time greats back to back, a coveted spot in the MMA annals becomes undisputed. We are of course talking about Ilia Topuria! The Spanish-Georgian exudes a swagger and faith that many fans have compared to Conor McGregor, and his stellar UFC career supports the hype. While Topuria has delivered on his promises till now, there’s another bold claim in the making: if he ever faced Islam Makhachev, he would be the first man to submit the lightweight phenom.

Considering Makhachev’s status as one of the best grapplers in MMA, this is no small statement. The Dagestani, who recently addressed the prospect of fighting Topuria, had a measured response. An Instagram clip shared by @za.khabiba captured Makhachev’s thoughts on the matter. He said, “We will have some kind of conversation. He constantly talks about me and He probably wants to tell me something. I don’t understand what he wants to tell me. Let’s step outside and talk.”

Makhachev added that while he was willing to fight Topuria if the promotion set it up, he wasn’t particularly interested from a sporting perspective. Explaining his reasoning, the 155lbs kingpin said, “He fights in a different weight class. If I defeat him, what will it give me? I don’t win the belt. Everyone will say I beat a fighter from a lower weight class again. That’s it. But if people want to see him lose, we can make that happen.”

Islam Makhachev’s long-time coach, Javier Mendez, has also weighed in on Ilia Topuria’s bold claim. The AKA head coach Mendez responded thoughtfully to the challenge, recognizing the significance of Topuria’s statement but also expressing caution. In an interview, Mendez acknowledged the magnitude of Topuria’s words, stating, “To be the first one to submit Islam is a big thing to throw out there. Let’s see if the fight happens first.”

However, he didn’t seem overly impressed by Topuria’s confidence, especially considering the quality of opponents the Spanish fighter has faced so far. Let’s see what else the legendary coach had to say.

Is the Topuria vs. Makhachev super fight on the horizon?

Javier Mendez continued his thoughts on Topuria’s challenge. He said, “His coach said that he submits everybody and beats everybody at everything. Maybe [Topuria] is that confident because of what he does over there. But what’s the quality of the opponents he’s doing it to? I don’t know that.”

While Mendez respects Topuria’s skillset, he pointed out that the level of competition Topuria has faced in comparison to Makhachev’s experience in the UFC and his training at AKA is a crucial factor. In a recent interview with Karim Mustaine, Mendez expressed his belief that it doesn’t make sense for the Dagestani champion to fight the featherweight king. Instead, he is adamant that Makhachev should instead face a “legit lightweight” like Arman Tsarukyan, emphasizing the need for the Dagestani to continue fighting in his division against the top contenders.

Meanwhile, UFC President Dana White is more open to the idea of Topuria facing a fighter outside of his current weight class. However, in an interview with TMZ Sports, White acknowledged that the prospect of him fighting at 155 pounds is something worth considering in the future but Topuria has plenty of challenges ahead in the 145-pound division.

The head honcho said, “Before we start talking about guys moving up to other weight classes, I mean, look at Max Holloway. When he moved up, he had wiped out the entire division [and proved to be] the best 145-pounder, and then Volkanovski [did the same]. So there’s plenty of challenges [left] for him [Topuria] at 145.”

Topuria himself seems to be eager for bigger challenges, recently posting on X, “TOPURIA VS?” The post was shared by ESPN MMA, who highlighted three possible opponents: Alexander Volkanovski, Islam Makhachev, and Diego Lopez. Interestingly, the Brazilian responded with a cryptic comment filled with emojis, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the conversation.

So, will Topuria get the fight with Makhachev, or will he face another top contender like Volkanovski or Lopez? The options are there, and Topuria seems ready to take on any challenge. What do you think about the potential matchup? Share your thoughts in the comments below.