Ilia Topuria has stated that he is ready to shock the world by submitting Islam Makhachev in a potential future matchup. The UFC featherweight champion made bold claims about his ability to finish the lightweight champion. Details of the statement are limited, but Topuria expressed confidence in his grappling skills against one of the sport's best ground fighters. The callout represents Topuria's interest in moving up in weight to challenge for a second title. No official plans for such a matchup have been announced by the UFC.
Ilia Topuria has set his sights on a second UFC title, publicly declaring that he would submit lightweight champion Islam Makhachev if the two were to meet inside the octagon.
Topuria, nicknamed "El Matador," holds the UFC lightweight title and sits at number one in the pound-for-pound rankings. The 29-year-old from Spain carries a 17-1-0 record and has established himself as one of the sport's most dangerous finishers, averaging 4.81 significant strikes landed per minute. He also contributes on the ground, averaging 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes — and it is precisely that grappling confidence that underpins his bold prediction against Makhachev.
Islam Makhachev enters the conversation as the reigning welterweight champion and the number-one pound-for-pound fighter in the world before Topuria's rise. The 34-year-old Russian, training out of Eagles MMA, holds a 28-1-0 record and is widely regarded as the sport's premier grappler. He averages 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands strikes at a 58 percent accuracy rate — a combination that has made him exceptionally difficult to finish by any method, let alone by submission.
No official matchup has been announced by the UFC, and the callout currently stands as an expression of Topuria's ambition to become a two-division champion.
Why it matters
- Topuria moving to welterweight would represent a significant jump of two weight classes for the 170 cm fighter
- Makhachev's grappling pedigree makes Topuria's specific prediction — a submission finish — one of the most audacious claims in recent memory
- A potential matchup would pit the top two pound-for-pound fighters against each other, with undisputed cross-divisional supremacy on the line
- No timeline or official UFC backing exists for the fight at this stage
