“Difference between me and you, that I cleaned top list in my division, moved to next, but you ran away from two contenders who had consecutive 5-9 wins in FW division. You are nobody in LW division, just a big mouth from Spain with nice haircut. Go get one W, and we can talk, boy.” Sounds emphatic, right? This is how Islam Makhachev fired back after Ilia Topuria accused him of ducking by vacating his 155-pound strap title to chase welterweight gold.
While many in the MMA world thought their war of words had cooled, the truth is far more explosive! The Spanish-Georgian star has once again clapped back at the soon-to-be-former lightweight champ—this time with a cheeky jab that shut him down in style. After conquering the featherweight division’s biggest names—Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski—Topuria set his sights on new territory: the lightweight division. But he didn’t come empty-handed!
Moreover, the Spanish-Georgian revealed that he was indeed promised by the top brass that a title shot was in line if he vacated his 145-pound crown. And following that path, Topuria has been relentless in stirring the pot, calling out the entire Team Khabib and demanding a shot at the division’s elite. However, Khabib Nurmagomedov stood firm in his stance: If Topuria wants a piece of the lightweight throne, he’ll have to earn it first.
Well, there’s a twist in the equation! And that is Makhachev’s decision to move to the welterweight division after UFC 315. It’s a known fact that the Dagestani has been pursuing a second title ever since UFC 294, but what’s particularly interesting is the possibility that Team Khabib may have deliberately stalled the lightweight division pending the outcome of UFC 315. Their manager, Ali Abdelaziz, even stated that a potential fight between Topuria and Makhachev was being discussed, provided that Belal Muhammad successfully defends his title.
So, a fight between these hot shots was in a pipeline, but what about now? Well, Islam Makhachev has clearly challenged Topuria to get a win before calling him out in his X post, but what about ‘El Matador’? During a recent presser, a reporter asked the former featherweight champion about Makhachev’s response, to which he replied that it’s not he who needs to prove his worth to Makhachev — rather, it’s now Makhachev who needs to prove his worth to him if he ever plans to come back to 155lbs.
“You know, from the beginning, he wanted to give that impression that he had some sort of decision. He also said about a week ago, ‘My move to welterweight isn’t going to matter because I’m not planning on vacating my title.’ You remember that, right?” Topuria said.
He further added, “And I had said before that I didn’t move up to lightweight to ask anyone for anything, and that I was the one in charge. So, who got their way? Who did what they said? As always, him to me. So after this fight, when I have the belt, he can get in line, which is a long one. And someone’s eyes will be shining.”
Ilia Topuria says Islam Makhachev has to ‘get in line’ if he wants to fight him after he wins the lightweight title
“After this fight when I have the belt, he can get in line, which is a long one.”
@KOlmeneroMMA #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/gatm0ZziKk
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 18, 2025
Well, that was quite a bold statement from the former featherweight champion. ‘El Matador’ will be fighting for the vacant lightweight belt at UFC 317 against Charles Oliveira, marking his return to the lightweight division for the first time since knocking out Jai Herbert in 2022. Meanwhile, Makhachev’s welterweight title fight against Jack Della Maddalena is yet to be confirmed, but the bout is most likely to take place in December. Given that, a UFC legend has called out the soon-to-be-former lightweight champion for cherry picking his opponent.
Chael Sonnen drops another rant on the Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria fiasco
Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev would have been an absolute banger for the UFC. This fight could have sold out in minutes, and the pay-per-view numbers would have been astronomical. But alas, the fight gods had something different in store for these hotshots. After Islam Makhachev relinquished his title to pursue the welterweight belt, one particular individual was not happy about it and took to Instagram to call out Makhachev for his decision.
Verbose analyst Chael Sonnen has been vocal in criticizing Makhachev for his endeavors. After the welterweight jump, Sonnen uploaded a video on his Instagram handle to disapprove the Dagestani’s career decision, “Islam did everything you could conceivably do to not fight Ilia, including leave the division, including leave the championship.”
Interestingly, he might be the only one in the MMA world siding with Ilia Topuria. When Team Khabib announced that ‘El Matador’ would have to prove himself before fighting for the title, ‘Uncle Chael’ uploaded a video calling out Team Khabib for their bias, stating that they weren’t doing the same for Islam Makhachev’s welterweight ambitions.
Well, like it or not, for now, there is no discussion about Topuria vs. Makachev, but if both of them win their next fights, things might be different. Regardless, what are your thoughts on the hubbub? State your opinion in the comments below.
The post “Get in Line” – Ilia Topuria Shoots Down Islam Makhachev’s Superior Complex With Bold Statement Ahead of UFC 317 appeared first on EssentiallySports.
