Ilia Topuria has declared that he is ready to shock the world by submitting Islam Makhachev. The featherweight champion's bold claim suggests confidence in his grappling abilities against one of the sport's most dominant wrestlers and grapplers. Topuria has previously expressed interest in moving up in weight to challenge Makhachev for the lightweight title. The comment was met with skepticism, with the post humorously questioning whether Topuria has been listening to unrealistic fantasies. This represents the latest chapter in Topuria's callouts of fighters in higher weight classes.
Ilia Topuria has set his sights on welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, boldly declaring that he could shock the combat sports world by submitting the dominant Russian grappler if the two were ever to meet.
Topuria, known as "El Matador," enters the conversation as one of the most dangerous fighters on the planet. The 29-year-old Spaniard holds a 17-1-0 record and currently sits at number two in the lightweight division, with a pound-for-pound ranking of first. Despite standing five-foot-seven with a 69-inch reach, Topuria generates an impressive 4.81 significant strikes per minute and attempts submissions at a rate of 1.1 per 15 minutes — numbers that underpin his confidence in a potential grappling exchange.
Standing across from him, at least hypothetically, would be Makhachev, the 34-year-old Russian who holds a 28-1-0 record and reigns as welterweight champion. Makhachev is widely regarded as one of the most complete grapplers in MMA, averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes, while also posting a striking accuracy of 58 percent. He is currently ranked number one pound-for-pound.
The callout drew immediate skepticism, with Topuria's claim that he could submit Makhachev greeted with humor in some quarters. This is not the first time Topuria has spoken about challenging fighters in heavier divisions, and the latest comment continues a pattern of the Georgian-born Spaniard positioning himself as a cross-divisional threat.
Why it matters
- A potential Topuria move to lightweight would put the pound-for-pound number one on a collision course with the division's dominant champion.
- Makhachev's elite grappling credentials make Topuria's submission claim the most provocative element of the callout.
- The size gap is notable — Makhachev holds advantages in height and division, currently competing at welterweight.
- If pursued, the fight would carry significant pound-for-pound implications at the top of both men's rankings.
