Javier Mendez commented on a potential matchup between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria. He stated that the UFC controls what happens and the decision to make the fight rests with the promotion. Mendez noted that both fighters have expressed their desire to compete against each other. He believes this would undoubtedly be the most important fight of the year if the UFC chooses to organize it.
AKA head coach Javier Mendez has weighed in on the prospect of a showdown between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria, making clear that the decision to book the fight sits entirely with the UFC. Speaking publicly, Mendez acknowledged that both men have voiced interest in facing each other, and he left little doubt about the magnitude of such a bout, calling it undoubtedly the biggest fight of the year if the promotion chooses to pull the trigger.
Makhachev, 34, enters the conversation as the reigning welterweight champion and the number-one pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, carrying a 28-1 record. The Russian southpaw, who trains out of Eagles MMA, is a suffocating grappler who averages 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands strikes at a remarkable 58 percent accuracy rate.
Topuria, ranked number one pound-for-pound and second in the lightweight division, brings a 17-1 record and an entirely different set of tools. The 29-year-old Spaniard, known as El Matador, is one of the most prolific volume strikers in the sport, uncorking 4.81 significant strikes per minute while also averaging nearly two takedowns per 15 minutes of his own.
Why it matters
- Makhachev is the reigning welterweight champion while Topuria sits just outside the lightweight title picture, meaning a clash would carry cross-divisional prestige
- A victory for either man would cement a strong argument for undisputed pound-for-pound supremacy
- The stylistic contrast is stark: Makhachev's elite grappling and control game against Topuria's explosive, high-volume striking output
- Both fighters have already signaled willingness to compete, leaving the UFC as the only remaining obstacle to the fight taking shape
