Ilia Topuria has made a bold claim that he is ready to shock the world by submitting Islam Makhachev. The featherweight champion expressed confidence in his ability to finish the lightweight king by submission, despite Makhachev's elite grappling credentials. The post included a humorous reference asking if Topuria had listened to the song "Fantazer" (Dreamer), suggesting skepticism about the claim. No official fight between the two has been announced, making this purely a callout and prediction from Topuria. This represents one of the boldest challenges Topuria has issued regarding a potential superfight.
Ilia Topuria has turned up the volume on a potential superfight with Islam Makhachev, claiming publicly that he would not only beat the lightweight champion but submit him — a statement that drew immediate skepticism from many corners of the MMA world.
Topuria, known as El Matador, holds a 17-1-0 record and currently sits at number one in the pound-for-pound rankings despite competing at lightweight, where he is ranked second in the division. The 29-year-old Spaniard is one of the sport's most active finishers, landing 4.81 significant strikes per minute and averaging 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes. His confidence in his own grappling, it seems, now extends to targeting the champion who many consider the finest grappler in the sport.
Makhachev, 34, is the reigning welterweight champion out of Russia and trains with Eagles MMA. He carries a 28-1-0 record and sits atop the pound-for-pound rankings at number zero. His wrestling is among the most suffocating in MMA, with 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes of his own. He also connects at a 58 percent striking accuracy rate, making him dangerous in every phase. The callout drew a humorous response referencing the song "Fantazer" — Russian for "Dreamer" — a pointed piece of skepticism aimed squarely at Topuria's prediction.
No fight between the two has been officially announced, and this remains an unconfirmed callout.
Why it matters
- Topuria is ranked number one pound-for-pound, making a cross-divisional superfight a genuinely marketable proposition
- A submission win over Makhachev would be one of the most stunning upsets in UFC history given the champion's elite grappling pedigree
- Topuria holds a three-inch height advantage but gives up reach and significant size moving up from featherweight to challenge at a higher weight class
