Ilia Topuria has made his ambitions crystal clear following his emphatic win last month. The Spanish-Georgian sensation has some bold demands for Dana White. With his undeniable swagger often compared to that of Conor McGregor, Topuria continues to captivate fans around the world. Now, he has set his sights even higher—on none other than Islam Makhachev.

Topuria’s spectacular 2024 has been a testament to his skill and determination, and his head coach, Jorge Clement, couldn’t be more thrilled about his fighter’s future. For Clement, a clash with the lightweight king represents the ultimate opportunity to solidify Topuria’s status as the best fighter in the world. “The fight that I think would put Ilia at the very top without any discussion that he’s the best fighter in the world would be against Islam Makhachev,” Clement told MMA Junkie in Spanish.

Topuria himself is equally enthusiastic about the prospect. According to an update from MMA Orbit, “Ilia Topuria tells @elchiringuitotv that the fight that interests him the most is against Islam Makhachev. Topuria says he’s looking to return in April or May.”

Topuria has made no secret of his interest in moving up to the lightweight division to challenge Makhachev, adding another layer of intrigue to this potential showdown. For the Dagestani, a potential fight with ‘El Matador’ presents little upside from a career standpoint as the stakes for Makhachev remain unclear. Despite this, the Dagestani fighter hasn’t ruled out the possibility of the matchup.

In a recent interview with Match TV (h/t Championship Rounds), Makhachev addressed the ongoing buzz surrounding Topuria and left the door open for a future clash. “We will have some kind of conversation,” Makhachev said. “He constantly talks about me. He probably wants to tell me something. I don’t understand what he wants to tell me. Let’s step outside and talk. Does he want to fight? We’ll fight if we need to.”

While Topuria’s callout adds to his rising star power, Makhachev’s response underscores his confidence and readiness to face any challenger if the situation demands. But can we really see this prospect turning into a reality anytime soon?

Is a super fight between Makhachev and Topuria on the way?

Islam Makhachev has expressed openness to a potential fight with Topuria but has questioned the purpose of such a matchup. In an Instagram clip shared by @za.khabiba, the lightweight champion explained his perspective, “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.”

Even Makhachev’s longtime coach, Javier Mendez, has also weighed in on Topuria’s bold claims of defeating the lightweight phenom. The AKA head coach shared his thoughts on Topuria’s coach asserting that Topuria submits and dominates everyone, Mendez responded, “His coach said that he submits to 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 acknowledged Topuria’s impressive skillset, he tempered the praise with a dose of realism. In an interview with Submission Radio, he highlighted Topuria’s strengths, saying “[Topuria] has superior boxing skills, and he’s very good at mixing his fighting styles and securing takedowns.” However, Mendez too doesn’t see much benefit for Makhachev in taking this fight and suggested that the champion should face a “legit lightweight” like Arman Tsarukyan instead. For the unversed, this matchup is locked in as the main event for UFC 311 in January.

What do you think? Should Makhachev entertain this challenge, or should he prioritize defending his belt against top lightweight contenders? Share your thoughts below!