Ilia Topuria has said that he doesn’t believe Islam Makhachev is ducking him by moving up to the welterweight division.
This weekend, Ilia Topuria will attempt to become a two-weight world champion when he takes on Charles Oliveira for the UFC lightweight championship. Islam Makhachev, meanwhile, will try and do the same thing later this year when challenging Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight strap.
The hope from many was that Ilia Topuria vs Islam Makhachev would be a fight that happens for the UFC lightweight championship. Unfortunately, for now, that hasn’t quite come to fruition.
In a recent interview, Ilia Topuria responded honestly when discussing whether or not he thinks Islam ducked him.
Ilia Topuria doesn’t think Islam Makhachev is ducking him
“I don’t think he’s ducking me, to be honest. I would be lying to you if I told you that he’s ducking me. I think he’s tired of the weight cut. He wants a new challenge. He moved to the welterweight division, failed, and thinks that he has a chance to become a double champion. I think this is all he’s trying to do.
”I think that not a lot of people understand how hard the weight cut is. When you get tired of the weight cut, there’s no name in the world that motivates you to fight. There’s no money in the world—you just want to take care of your health. This is the reason why I switched weight classes, and I think he’s doing the same thing.”
