Following the year that Ilia Topuria has had, some fans are coming around to the idea of seeing him move up a weight class in the future. Many are growing tired of the want for every fighter to become a two-division champion rather than achieving total dominance in their own weight class and this was the case with "El Matador" at first.
However, after he did exactly what he said he would do and stopped Max Holloway at UFC 308, it's becoming hard to deny him what he wants. With his back-to-back wins over "Blessed" and Alexander Volkanovski, Topuria has proved that he's one of the best in the world right now.
It just so happens that the #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC is the champion in the weight class above him. In a recent interview via matchtv, lightweight king Islam Makhachev gave his thoughts on Topuria calling him out.
We’ll have to talk. It will happen 100 percent. He’s been talking about me non stop, he probably wants to let us know something but I have no idea what. Well, we will talk and find out... We will fight if we have to.
Despite saying that they can make the fight happen if it's called for, Makhachev went on to say that he isn't particularly excited about the idea. The 155-pound champion had his own plans to move up a weight class until his training partner Belal Muhammad became the welterweight champion in July.
Having defeated Volkanovski twice whilst "The Great" was the featherweight champion, it makes sense why he wouldn't want to fight another titleholder from the division below just yet.
In terms of my fighting career, I have no interest in fighting Ilia Topuria. He represents another weight class so what if we fight and I beat him, what’s there for me? I won’t win another belt and everybody will once again say that I beat a featherweight and that’s it. But, if people really want to see him lose, well, we can do it.”