Oct 22, 2022; Abu Dhabi, UAE; Islam Makhachev (blue gloves) defeats Charles Oliveira (red gloves) during UFC 280 at Etihad Arena. Mandatory Credit: Craig Kidwell-USA TODAY Sports

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Chael Sonnen Questions Islam Makhachev’s Motives For Allegedly Dodging Ilia Topuria

Chael Sonnen isn’t convinced Islam Makhachev’s ambition is driving the shift. Could he be dodging a rising threat in Ilia Topuria?

Oct 22, 2022; Abu Dhabi, UAE; Islam Makhachev (blue gloves) defeats Charles Oliveira (red gloves) during UFC 280 at Etihad Arena. Mandatory Credit: Craig Kidwell-USA TODAY Sports

Islam Makhachev stands at a career crossroads that many champions face. The lightweight king demolished Renato Moicano at UFC 311 with relative ease. His dominance left fans wondering what challenges remain at 155 pounds. Makhachev has always made his intentions crystal clear. “I’m not gonna leave this sport without a second belt.” This statement has garnered a lot of speculation about his future. Would he face former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria moving up? Or would he pursue welterweight gold against whoever holds the belt after UFC 315?

This isn’t the first time fans have seen a dominant champion eye double-champ status. Conor McGregor blazed this trail years ago. Henry Cejudo, Amanda Nunes, and Daniel Cormier followed suit. The allure of holding two belts simultaneously represents the pinnacle of MMA achievement. Makhachev’s mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov never pursued this path, making Islam’s ambition particularly interesting.

But Ilia Topuria represents a fresh threat. He is undefeated, supremely confident, and publicly calling for the fight. The Georgian featherweight champion knocked out Volkanovski in spectacular fashion as well as the unbreakable Max Holloway, setting up a potential super-fight that has fans salivating!

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Chael Sonnen Calls Out Double Standards

Chael Sonnen is never one to hold his tongue. He recently fired shots at Makhachev’s logic. The ‘Bad Guy’ pointed out a glaring contradiction in the lightweight champion’s thinking.

“If you’re team Islam and you’re sitting around and waiting cause you believe you’re going to 170 lbs and get a title shot against Jack Della Maddalena…if you’re refusing Ilia Topuria as he hasn’t done anything in the weight class and I lose to him, it’s too big of a risk. We will take that same argument and sticking up your a** at 170, where you haven’t done anything,” said Sonnen in a recent YouTube video.

The ‘American Gangster’ makes a compelling point. Islam Makhachev had recently criticized Topuria for not earning a lightweight shot while simultaneously expecting an immediate title opportunity at welterweight. Sonnen, despite being “completely for Islam,” feels the champion might be overreaching.

He highlighted a key difference between the two champions’ approaches. “Ilia had one tremendous difference, which is the courage to vacate, not to weigh the fence,” Sonnen said. This comment revealed Topuria is willing to fully commit to his challenge rather than keeping one foot in each division. He is now fully invested securing himself in the new lightweight division.

The situation grows more complicated when considering Makhachev’s relationship with current welterweight champion Belal Muhammad. The two are teammates and have publicly stated they won’t fight each other. But if Belal Muhammad loses the fight at UFC 315, Islam could potentially vouch for that opportunity rather than fighting Ilia Topuria. Regardless of what will happen, fans are in for a treat.

Next week will probably clear up many things for the fans. Both Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev are in camp, and whether they will fight or not depends greatly on the result of UFC 315.

(Image Credit: Craig Kidwell – Imagn Images)

Chael Sonnen

Ilia Topuria

Islam Makhachev

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!