Ilia Topuria has stated 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 submission. The post's author responds with skepticism, asking if Topuria has listened to a particular song called "Fantazior" (Dreamer). This represents continued speculation about a potential superfight between the two champions, though no official bout has been announced.
Ilia Topuria has set his sights on an ambitious superfight, publicly declaring that he would stun the combat sports world by submitting reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
Topuria, known as "El Matador," carries a 17-1-0 record and currently holds the number-one pound-for-pound ranking in the sport at just 29 years old. The Spanish fighter competes at lightweight, where he sits ranked second in the division, and brings one of the more active offensive games in the UFC with 4.81 significant strikes landed per minute. His submission threat is legitimate on paper, averaging 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes throughout his career. No official bout agreement has been announced.
Makhachev, the 34-year-old Russian champion out of Eagles MMA, holds a 28-1-0 record and sits atop the pound-for-pound rankings. He is a dominant force at welterweight, landing strikes at 58 percent accuracy while also threatening opponents on the ground with 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes of his own. His grappling pedigree makes Topuria's specific prediction — a submission finish — a particularly bold one to voice publicly.
The callout drew a skeptical response, with Topuria's claim being met with a reference to a song titled "Fantazior," meaning "Dreamer" — a pointed suggestion that the Georgian-born Spaniard may be getting ahead of himself.
Why it matters
- A champion-versus-champion superfight between two of the sport's top pound-for-pound fighters would carry enormous divisional stakes.
- Topuria moving up to challenge Makhachev would pit two fighters with near-identical submission rates against each other, creating an intriguing grappling dynamic.
- No official negotiations have been confirmed, keeping this firmly in the realm of public sparring for now.
