We may not see a fight between former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (27-1) and former featherweight titleholder Ilia Topuria (16-0), but the two are doing an excellent job building a future grudge match.
At a recent press conference, Topuria called Makhachev a ‘hypocrite’ and accused the top pound-for-pound fighter of running from fight with him.
“(Islam) is the biggest hypocrite I’ve ever seen,” Topuria recently said in a press conference (h/t Marca, Championship Rounds). “He said he didn’t want to give me the opportunity because I was the little guy, and now the little guy is the one looking for the same opportunity I was looking for. How are you going to criticize my decision when you’re doing the same thing right now? I’ve never seen more hypocrisy in my life.”
Topuria won the featherweight title by knockout out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February 2024. He successfully defended the title at UFC 308, becoming the first and only fighter to ever knockout Max Holloway. “El Matador” then vacated the championship to move up to the lightweight division in pursuit of a second UFC title.
Makhachev vacated the lightweight championship to move up to the welterweight division with the same aspirations as Topuria, but he doesn’t think their situations are the same.
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On Tuesday, the two went back and forth on social media after Topuria called Makhachev a ‘coward’ and then refereed to him as ‘little boy’ in Russian.
“The difference between you and me is that I am a man and you are a coward. I speak and fight. you talk and hide. Run away far, leaving no trace. Ты маленький пацан,” Topuria wrote on X.
Makhachev quickly fired back at Topuria and explained what he believes is the difference between the two.
“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,” Makhachev responded.
The difference between you and me is that I am a man and you are a coward. I speak and fight. you talk and hide. Run away far, leaving no trace. Ты маленький пацан. https://t.co/kDuhhdIB8t
— Ilia Topuria (@Topuriailia) May 15, 2025
Topuria faces former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title in the UFC 317 main event on June 28. Makhachev is expected to fight newly crowned welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena later this year.
