Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev are consistent in their view on who should be the next challenger for the lightweight title.
Earlier this year, Ilia Topuria, the featherweight champion, relinquished his belt to focus on moving to the 155-pound division and competing for the lightweight championship. This immediately sparked discussions about a potential high-profile fight between Makhachev and Topuria. However, the lightweight champion has shown reluctance to grant a title shot to another champion moving up from 145 pounds, especially after already defending his title twice against Alexander Volkanovski. Despite growing public interest in a Makhachev-Topuria matchup, Makhachev and his team are not changing their stance.
“In my opinion,” Khabib Nurmagomedov told Adam Zubayraev, “Arman Tsarukyan would be a more challenging, not necessarily more dangerous, but more competitive fight. I believe Arman is a more serious contender than Topuria. Topuria is a good fighter at 145, but we haven`t seen him compete at 155. I think Arman would provide a tougher test for Islam than Topuria.”
“I`m not sure about the agreements between Topuria and the UFC, but from Islam’s perspective, he has already given two title opportunities to champions from the 145-pound division, and Islam won both times. Now, for a third time, let`s say Topuria moves up, gets an immediate title shot, Islam defeats him, and then Topuria loses again in another fight. This would essentially make him seem like an insignificant competitor at 155. Islam would have defeated someone who was unproven at 155. Therefore, in terms of Islam`s legacy and career record, I understand Islam`s concerns. That`s why Islam suggests Topuria should fight and prove himself as a genuine contender.”
Makhachev was originally scheduled to defend his title against Tsarukyan at UFC 311 in January, but Tsarukyan had to withdraw on the day of the weigh-ins. Renato Moicano stepped in as a replacement with only 24 hours` notice. Makhachev won via a first-round submission, setting a new record for consecutive lightweight title defenses in UFC history. Two of these defenses were against Alexander Volkanovski, the featherweight champion at the time, with the first fight taking place in Volkanovski`s home country of Australia. It`s understandable why Makhachev is less enthusiastic about repeating that scenario.
“Islam will fight anyone,” Nurmagomedov stated. “Islam himself has said he is willing to fight any fighter. However, when it comes to Islam, it`s been repeatedly suggested that he fight champions moving up from 145 – once, twice, and now potentially a third time. It`s time to consider Islam`s perspective. He is the reigning champion, and he has already fought the 145-pound champion, even traveling to Australia to fight him in his home country. That’s why we, as a team, believe Topuria is a respectable fighter and champion who has defeated strong opponents. But if you look at fighters at 145, even Max Holloway, whom Topuria beat, when Holloway moved up to 155, he didn`t achieve much.”
“Islam also has a limited timeframe in his career. Considering he will turn 34 soon, Islam wants to compete against significant names who have truly earned their shot, fighters who have been competing at 155 for a considerable time, rather than facing Topuria, Volkanovski, or short-notice replacements like Renato Moicano. There`s no personal issue here, but if you`re moving up in weight class, you need to earn your place. That is essentially our position.”
It’s worth noting that Topuria is not the only champion considering moving up in weight. Makhachev, currently ranked as the top pound-for-pound fighter, has expressed his desire to pursue a second title, even suggesting a move to middleweight if necessary. However, with Belal Muhammad scheduled to defend his welterweight title against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 next month, Makhachev might not have to make such a drastic move.
“Islam wants to move up to 170, but fighting for the welterweight title is complicated because Belal Muhammad is there,” Nurmagomedov explained. “He is a close friend of ours, and we cannot prioritize titles over personal relationships. That’s not how we operate.”
“If Maddalena were the champion, Islam would have already fought him. But it seems the UFC is waiting for the outcome of the May event between Belal and Maddalena. Personally, I want Belal to win. I sincerely hope he does. However, if Maddalena wins, I believe the UFC might offer Islam a fight with Maddalena at 170.”
