Ilia Topuria has made a bold statement that he is ready to shock the world by submitting Islam Makhachev. The featherweight champion expressed confidence in his ability to finish the lightweight champion by choke. The post appears skeptical of Topuria's claim, making a joking reference asking if he has listened to a particular song. Details about when or if this fight might take place were not provided in the brief announcement.
Ilia Topuria has turned up the heat on a potential superfight, publicly declaring that he will submit Islam Makhachev by choke if the two champions ever share the octagon.
Topuria, known as "El Matador," carries a 17-1-0 record and currently sits at number two in the lightweight division while holding the number one spot in the pound-for-pound rankings. The 29-year-old Spanish fighter is one of the sport's most dynamic finishers, averaging 4.81 significant strikes landed per minute and posting 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes. His confidence in grappling against Makhachev is the central point of his callout.
Makhachev is the reigning welterweight champion with a record of 28-1-0 and holds the top pound-for-pound position coming into this exchange. The 34-year-old Russian, training out of Eagles MMA, is regarded as one of the elite grapplers in the sport, averaging 3.2 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes while landing strikes at a 58 percent accuracy rate. Topuria's claim that he can finish Makhachev by choke drew visible skepticism from those responding to the announcement, with at least one observer making a pointed joking reference in reply.
No timeline or official negotiations for the fight were referenced in the announcement.
Why it matters
- Topuria is ranked number one pound-for-pound, making a crossover fight with Makhachev a genuine superfight scenario
- A submission finish claim directly challenges Makhachev's identity as one of the premier grapplers in the sport
- Topuria would be moving up from featherweight to face a champion in a heavier division, adding further intrigue to the stylistic puzzle
