Lightweight legend Dustin Poirier, who has been rumored to face Ilia Topuria in his potential farewell fight, recently voiced his support for the Georgian-Spaniard getting a well-earned shot at the 155-pound title. After slaying two of the greatest featherweights in UFC history, Topuria has built a compelling case for an immediate fight with Islam Makhachev. However, the reigning lightweight champion has shut down that idea, questioning Topuria’s legitimacy as a true contender at 155.

Instead, Makhachev insists that ‘El Matador’ must first prove himself against a top-ranked lightweight before stepping into a championship bout. Now, Makhachev’s coach, Javier Mendez, has provided further insight into the champ’s mindset, offering a perspective that many might find reasonable. With Makhachev aiming to cement his legacy as the greatest lightweight of all time—a goal he edged closer to after his dominant victory at UFC 311—the Dagestani star is solely focused on defending his title against a true 155-pound contender.

Mendez pointed out that fighters like Arman Tsarukyan and Charles Oliveira have been patiently waiting for their shot, making them more deserving candidates. Additionally, the AKA head honcho acknowledged the optics of Makhachev fighting a featherweight for the third time in his last five title defenses, warning that it could lead to backlash from fans and critics alike. He emphasized that if Makhachev wants to silence any doubts about his reign, he must continue taking on the division’s toughest lightweights—not challengers moving up in weight.

“My only issue has been that for us, if we have to fight him, it’s not a great fight for us because a lot of people are going to go, ‘Oh, Islam beat another featherweight,’ although one of the great ones but he’ll still be another featherweight,” Javier Mendez stated on his YouTube podcast. “That means, out of the five championship fights Islam’s had already, you know, he’s going to fight three featherweights? That kinda… that’s tough.”

Moreover, there’s always a chance that Topuria puts on a stellar performance and gets lauded by the community, even though Makhachev turns out to be the winner of their hypothetical fight. A similar instance took when the lightweight kingpin took on Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284, with ‘Volk’ putting on such a good performance that raised questions about Makhachev’s victory over the Australian. The Dagestan native does not want to deal with that situation ever again. Following those lines, Mendez stated, “What happens if the featherweight does decent and Islam wins?… Then everyone’s going to, you know, his credit goes back down,” the AKA head coach added.

While fighting a featherweight doesn’t seem attractive to Makhachev, his mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, outright dismissed Ilia Topuria’s admission into the lightweight title scene. Here’s what the 29-o Hall of Famer had to say.

Khabib Nurmagomedov does not believe Ilia Topuria deserves to fight Islam Makhachev

The word ‘deserve’ is a strong word, but when a legend like Khabib Nurmagomedov uses it, it comes across as something fans need to think about. Following ‘El Matador’s move to the lightweight division, ‘The Eagle’ has made his stance clear on what lies ahead for the former featherweight champion. And guess what? Competing in an immediate 155-pound title fight is certainly not on the books, according to Nurmagomedov.

The Hall of Famer has just one condition for Topuria to compete in a lightweight title scrap, and that’s after beating former champions and top contenders like the aforementioned Charles Oliveira or someone of that caliber. “I think if you move up and beat somebody like Dustin Poirier or Charles Oliveira, he is next in line. Why not? Because there is nobody,” Nurmagomedov stated on the Pound 4 Pound podcast. “Without fighting in 155, no, I don’t agree.”

Well, Dana White does what a fight-hungry savvy businessman does, and if he decides to put Ilia Topuria in front of Islam Makhachev, the latter won’t hesitate to fight a featherweight again. But is that what the UFC CEO should go with, or should he listen to what Khabib Nurmagomedov and Javier Mendez had to say? Drop your comments down below.