UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria has stated he is ready to shock the world by submitting lightweight champion Islam Makhachev if they were to fight. Topuria's bold claim takes on a champion widely regarded as one of the best grapplers in the sport. Makhachev, a student of Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov and training partner of Khabib Nurmagomedov, has dominant grappling credentials. The post's commentary questions whether Topuria is being overly optimistic about his chances against Makhachev's elite submission game, though such cross-divisional superfight talk generates significant fan interest.
Ilia Topuria has declared he would submit Islam Makhachev if the two undisputed champions were ever to share the octagon, a statement that puts the Spaniard on a collision course with one of the sport's most decorated grapplers.
Topuria, known as "El Matador," enters this conversation as the UFC lightweight champion ranked first in the pound-for-pound standings. The 29-year-old Spaniard carries a 17-1-0 record and is among the most active offensive fighters in the promotion, landing 4.81 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy. His grappling is no afterthought either, averaging 1.96 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes — numbers that underpin the confidence behind his claim.
Standing across that hypothetical matchup is Makhachev, the welterweight champion and the man ranked directly above Topuria at the top of the pound-for-pound list. The 34-year-old Russian, trained within the Dagestan system alongside Khabib Nurmagomedov and under the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, owns a 28-1-0 record and has built his reputation on suffocating grappling. He averages 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.1 submission attempts in the same span, while also connecting on a remarkable 58 percent of his significant strikes — a figure that speaks to the precision behind his measured, controlling style.
Why it matters
- Topuria's pound-for-pound standing and lightweight title give him legitimate leverage to pursue a cross-divisional superfight.
- Makhachev's grappling credentials, forged in one of MMA's most decorated camps, make a submission claim the boldest possible line Topuria could draw.
- A size differential — Makhachev at 178 cm, Topuria at 170 cm — adds another layer of intrigue to any potential matchup.
- Cross-divisional champion-versus-champion bouts carry enormous promotional weight, and Topuria's willingness to name a specific finish method sharpens the narrative considerably.
