SUMMARY
- Ilia Topuria has revealed his intentions to fight Islam Makhachev in the future.
- Hearing the comments, the lightweight champ has given his response
Ilia Topuria is reveling in his newfound fame after clinching the UFC featherweight title. Having bested Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 earlier this month, Topuria has garnered a lot of traction. Hailing from Georgia and raised in Spain, the fighter has received love from both nations.
For the most part, ‘El Matador’ made a lot of noise ahead of UFC 298. Displaying an arrogance and swagger similar to that of prime Conor McGregor, many had their doubts about Topuria. However, the 27-year-old proved everybody wrong when he finished Volkanovski with a spectacular knockout. With that said, the new champ has already set his sights on other divisions to conquer.
HE IS KING 👑@TOPURIAILIA IS YOUR NEW FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD 🇪🇸🏆 🇬🇪 #UFC298 pic.twitter.com/eKRjZsP7yI
— UFC (@ufc) February 18, 2024
With an existing feud with bantamweight champ Sean O’Malley, Ilia has a lot of parties interested in fighting him. Notably, he also wishes to do what his predecessor Volkanovski couldn’t and defeat Islam Makhachev as well. Speaking to Eurosport, the Spaniard revealed that his ultimate goal is to be a double-champ and #1 P4P fighter and to do that, he would dethrone Islam Makhachev.
Islam Makhachev responds to Ilia Topuria
As for Islam Makhachev, the lightweight champion is currently taking some well-deserved time off as he waits for a new contender to emerge. Recently, the #1 UFC P4P fighter was spotted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia alongside Khabib Nurmagomedov and PFL executive Ray Sefo. With Ramadan fast approaching, it is clear that Makhachev will be out of action for quite some time.
However, he has been keeping up to date with everything that has been going on in the fight world. With that said, the lightweight champ reportedly caught wind of Ilia Topuria’s comments toward him. As such, he responded, “Another short guy is talking. Another short guy wants to be smashed”. Interestingly, his statements are yet to be verified.
With that said, it hasn’t stopped Ilia from hitting back by posting Makhachev’s sole career loss on his Instagram. Although a matchup between the two is far from happening, it could be one that the UFC could try and build towards.
📸 Khabib and Islam with fresh haircuts spending quality time in Riyadh with PFL owner 👏🏻👏🏻. Love my brothers 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ulRIp7WOZk
— Doctor MMA 🇵🇸 (@FightDoctor_) February 23, 2024
In the meantime, Makhachev will be keeping a close eye on UFC 300. With Justin Gaethje, Max Holloway Charles Oliveira, and Arman Tsarukyan all fighting for a chance to be the next title challenger, it will be an interesting watch. Moreover, with Islam making his first two title defenses against Alexander Volkanovski, it will be quite some time before he fights a champion from another division.
Ilia Topuria’s title presentation at Real Madrid
As for Ilia Topuria, he is on the fast track to fame with his performance against Alexander Volkanovski taking him to unthinkable heights. Not only did he receive a lot of plaudits and support from renowned Spanish athletes, but he has also been acknowledged by the biggest soccer team on the planet, Real Madrid. Following the win, the club put out a statement, praising the UFC fighter’s monumental feat.
As such, Topuria was welcomed at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu this past Sunday ahead of their game against Sevilla FC. Walking out to 85,000 fans cheering him on Ilia experienced a moment that he will likely remember for the rest of his life. Making his way to the pitch, the fighter shook hands with many players. Thereafter he also shared a moment with his close friend, opposing captain, and former Madrid captain, Sergio Ramos.
With that said, many once again pointed to the relentless growth in Topuria’s social media following. Having around 800,000 followers during his fight against Josh Emmett, the fighter now sits at 3.3 million. As such, he has seen a growth of 2.5 million Instagram followers in the last nine months. Judging by the trajectory of his career, the UFC has finally found its next generational megastar for years to come.