Ilia Topuria has stated that Islam Makhachev is busy counting other people's money. According to Topuria, Makhachev has made excuses once before, and now excuses have appeared a second time. Topuria believes this pattern definitely looks like Makhachev is avoiding the fight. The post provides limited details about the specific context or timing of these alleged excuses.
Ilia Topuria has publicly accused Islam Makhachev of ducking a potential superfight, claiming the reigning welterweight champion has now twice conjured excuses to avoid stepping into the cage with him.
Topuria, known as El Matador, sharpened his rhetoric by suggesting Makhachev is too preoccupied counting other people's money rather than competing at the highest level. The 29-year-old Spaniard made clear he sees a deliberate pattern in the back-to-back instances of Makhachev finding reasons not to engage, and he left little doubt about what he believes is driving that behavior.
Topuria enters this war of words as the number-one ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, carrying a 17-1-0 record and sitting second in the lightweight division. Standing five-foot-seven with a 175 cm reach, he is one of the most dangerous strikers in any weight class, averaging 4.81 significant strikes per minute while also threatening with nearly two takedowns per fifteen minutes.
Makhachev, 34, is the welterweight champion out of Russia and trains with Eagles MMA. He owns a 28-1-0 record and holds the top spot in the pound-for-pound rankings. At five-foot-ten with a 178 cm reach, the southpaw is a complete mixed martial artist, landing strikes at 58 percent accuracy while adding 3.2 takedowns per fifteen minutes to make him a threat across all phases of a fight.
Why it matters
- A Topuria-Makhachev matchup would pit the number-one and number-two pound-for-pound fighters against each other, making it one of the most significant potential bouts in the sport.
- Topuria's aggressive striking output against Makhachev's elite wrestling and volume would create a compelling style contrast.
- Makhachev's silence or continued hesitation gives Topuria a growing narrative advantage heading into any future negotiations.
