Alex Pereira is definitely the biggest star in the UFC right now, given he’s 2024’s Fighter of the Year. But ‘El Matador’ Ilia Topuria is not far behind and could do incredibly great things in the sport, given how young the Georgian-Spaniard is. The reigning featherweight king has had his sights set on the lightweight division for a while. Like many UFC champions, ‘El Matador’ is eager to chase the goal of holding titles in two weight classes. His ambition has led him to repeatedly call out Islam Makhachev, the reigning lightweight champion, often taking shots at him on social media.

Thrash talk is an inevitable part of the game in combat sports, and lately, we’ve seen the extremes play out in terms of nasty thrash, also given Conor McGregor‘s influence on the sport. On a lot of occasions, we see fighters saying bizarre things just to get a reaction from their opponents. However, despite his confidence and dominance (and sometimes cringeworthy hot-takes like his pre-UFC 308 interview with Ariel Helwani), ‘El Matador’ hasn’t crossed any lines as he prepares to take the tough road ahead. American Kickboxing Academy’s head coach Javier Mendez is pretty impressed with the way he has carried himself to date and shared his honest opinion on the Spanish champion’s grace.

Ilia Topuria’s way of getting a title shot against Makhachev has impressed coach Mendez

After dominating the featherweight division, Ilia Topuria now has his sights set on moving up to the lightweight division. According to his coach, the main reason behind this decision is the toll that cutting down to 145 pounds has taken on him. ‘El Matador’ usually walks around at approximately 187 pounds when he’s not in training camp. As a result, he is forced to drop over forty pounds to make the featherweight limit. The grueling process has left him drained, prompting him to consider a shift to the higher weight class.

One of his targets is the lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. The rivalry escalated recently when Makhachev hinted at the possibility of a confrontation “on the streets.” Topuria brushed off the suggestion, making it clear that he’d only face Makhachev in the Octagon. He joked that he wasn’t interested in a street fight, playfully adding that he didn’t want to be responsible for Makhachev’s medical bills. According to Mendez this kind of back-and-forth among fighters is very healthy and makes the rivalry even more interesting.

Mendez, in his podcast on his YouTube channel, pointed out what he feels about the whole. He said, “I respect it. I mean, he’s coming in and he’s not attacking family, religion or this or that. I don’t mind that, even [talking about] coaches that come out. As long as you stay away from the family, religion, you know, and country, whatever. Everything is game.” He further added, “But he’s keeping it very classy. He’s coming after fighters, and there’s zero wrong with what’s he doing and I admire him. I respect him.” 

The Dagestani lightweight champion is currently not interested in fighting the featherweight champion. According to him a win against Topuria will do no good for his career. So what should ‘El Matador’ do to catch the attention of the lightweight champion? Well, former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov knows exactly what needs to be done.

Ilia Topuria can get a title shot next only if he does this feels ‘The Eagle’

Ilia Topuria has been riding a wave of momentum, especially since he steamrolled Max Holloway earlier this year, proving his dominance. As the reigning featherweight champion, Topuria hasn’t held back, making bold claims that he’s a superior fighter not only to everyone in his division but also to the lightweight contenders. His confidence has sparked a heated exchange with Islam Makhachev, the lightweight champion, stirring up even more tension by drawing reactions from members of team Khabib.

The rivalry intensified when Topuria accused Usman Nurmagomedov of previous PED use, turning their feud into a heated public exchange. Despite the buzz, neither Topuria nor UFC President Dana White has given any official word on whether a possible fight is on the card.

Khabib Nurmagomedov, mentor to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, recently shared his thoughts on a potential future fight between Makhachev and Ilia Topuria – but with certain conditions. During an episode of the  ‘Pound $ Pound’ podcast, Cejudo voiced his support for Topuria to get a shot at the lightweight title, pointing to his impressive victories in his last two fights. While Khabib acknowledged Topuria’s talent, he made it clear that Topuria would need to earn his chance by defeating top contenders in the division. He said “I think if you move up and beat somebody like Dustin Poirier or Charles Oliveira, then he’s next in line. Why not? Because there’s nobody else.”

Do you think Khabib Nurmagomedov is right in saying ‘El Matador’ should prove himself before earning a shot at the lightweight title? Or do you believe Topuria has done enough to deserve an immediate title fight against Islam Makhachev? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.