Ilia Topuria has publicly stated that Islam Makhachev is counting other people's money and making excuses. According to Topuria, Makhachev already had excuses once before, and now they have appeared a second time. The Georgian-Spanish fighter believes this pattern definitively looks like Makhachev is avoiding a potential bout. This represents an escalation in the verbal conflict between the two champions. Topuria's comments suggest frustration with negotiations or discussions about a possible matchup.
