Henry Cejudo believes Khabib Nurmagomedov could be preventing a potential superfight between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria.
Earlier this year, Topuria announced his plans to move up to lightweight and chase a second title, hinting at an immediate title shot. While Topuria seems keen and claims to have been promised a title fight, Makhachev appears less enthusiastic. Cejudo thinks he understands the reason behind this hesitation.
Cejudo recounted a conversation with Khabib, where Khabib expressed that it wouldn`t be fair for Topuria to jump the line for a title shot against Islam, especially considering Islam has consistently faced top contenders, including giving Alexander Volkanovski two title opportunities. Cejudo believes Khabib might insist that Topuria first prove himself by defeating the top lightweight contender.
According to Cejudo, Khabib indicated that if Topuria defeats a No. 1 contender, then a title fight could be considered. Cejudo emphasizes that Islam himself is willing to fight anyone, anytime, anywhere, but he suspects Khabib Nurmagomedov might intervene and advocate for Topuria to face a top contender first. Therefore, Cejudo predicts Islam Makhachev`s next opponent will likely be Justin Gaethje at International Fight Week.
Makhachev is currently the UFC lightweight champion and recently surpassed the record for most consecutive title defenses in the division. However, critics point out that two of his title defenses were against Alexander Volkanovski, who was moving up from featherweight. This is why Makhachev prefers Topuria to earn his shot by defeating a lightweight contender first. Cejudo even suggested a possible opponent for Topuria.
Cejudo proposed that the UFC could match Ilia Topuria against Dustin Poirier, possibly in Louisiana. He speculated that Charles Oliveira might be reluctant to fight Topuria unless he reclaims the championship, suggesting Oliveira lacks leverage to avoid the fight after losing his previous title opportunity. Cejudo believes the UFC might sideline fighters who try to dictate their opponents, making a Topuria vs. Poirier matchup plausible.
Cejudo also noted Dustin Poirier`s statement about only wanting to fight legends in his retirement fight, jokingly mentioning Ilia Topuria recently declared himself a “legend”.
