Jan 18, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Islam Makhachev (red gloves) reacts after defeating Renato Moicano (not pictured) in a lightweight title fight during UFC 311 at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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Islam Makhachev Opens Up About Returning To Lightweight And The Prospect Of A Fight With Ilia Topuria

Islam Makhachev, the former 155-pound champion, is now chasing history at welterweight. He will challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the title at UFC 322 in Madison Square Garden on November 15. Della Maddalena shocked the world by upsetting Belal Muhammad back in May to claim the belt. Now Makhachev wants to become a two-division champion and cement his legacy even further.

But there’s one problem that keeps following him around. Ilia Topuria won’t shut up about fighting him. The new lightweight champion has been calling out Makhachev relentlessly, accusing him of running away by moving up in weight. Topuria knocked out Charles Oliveira to win the lightweight title at UFC 317, succeeding Makhachev as champion.

Before and after that victory, ‘El Matador’ has taken shots at the Dagestani fighter. He claims Makhachev moved to welterweight specifically to avoid him. Topuria even suggested he might move up to welterweight himself to chase a third championship across three divisions. The feud has become one of the most talked-about storylines in the UFC right now. Fans desperately want to see these two settle things in the octagon. But Islam Makhachev made his priorities clear.

Islam Makhachev Explains Why The Topuria Fight Doesn’t Interest Him

Speaking with Match TV recently, Makhachev addressed the constant talk about fighting Topuria. He didn’t hold back either, making his position crystal clear. He pointed out that he already won the lightweight belt and has nothing left to prove at that weight class. Going back down would just mean torture from the weight cut without any real reward.

“This fight is the main thing people are talking about. How could it be interesting to me? What will I gain by going down to 155 pounds and beating Topuria? The fans are mostly interested in it. I’m not interested in cutting weight to 155 pounds and torturing myself again. I’m interested in fighting at 170.”

Islam Makhachev on moving back down to lightweight to fight Ilia Topuria:

"How could it be interesting to me? What will I gain by going down to 155 and beating Topuria?

The fans are mostly interested in it. I'm not interested in cutting weight to 155 and torturing myself… pic.twitter.com/JiFRknttuQ
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) November 1, 2025

It’s a fair point from Makhachev’s perspective. He dominated lightweight for years and defended the title multiple times. Why go back and kill himself making weight when he can compete more comfortably at welterweight? The weight cut to 155 is brutal for him, and at this stage of his career, comfort matters. Topuria himself moved from featherweight to lightweight because the weight cut to 145 was brutal for him. Asking Topuria to fight someone at 145 wouldn’t make sense, just like this.

But if Topuria really wants the fight, he can move up to welterweight himself and challenge Makhachev there. In a recent interview, Makhachev stated that he had ni issue in fighting Topuria at welterweight. The odds of this fight happening at this weight remain very low. But anything can happen in the UFC, as fans have seen way stranger things!

(Image Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – Imagn Images)

Ilia Topuria

Islam Makhachev

UFC 322

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!