{"id":23045,"date":"2025-02-25T11:26:46","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T10:26:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/?p=23045"},"modified":"2025-02-25T11:27:56","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T10:27:56","slug":"ilia-topuria-refuses-to-fight-anyone-else-other-than-islam-makhachev-himself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/ilia-topuria-refuses-to-fight-anyone-else-other-than-islam-makhachev-himself\/","title":{"rendered":"Ilia Topuria Wants Title Shot Next Against P4P King Islam Makhachev, As Per Sources!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Ilia Topuria has now vacated the featherweight title and has moved up to the lightweight division. Him and his team have made it clear that they only want to fight Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title and nobody else. So this begs the question; does Ilia Topuria deserve the title fight straight away without fighting any of the top contenders? Here&rsquo;s what we think.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Dustin Poirier feels Ilia Topuria has done enough to earn a title fight against Islam Makhachev:<br><br>\"Vacating the belt and moving up, finishing Max Holloway the way that he did, I would give him a crack at the lightweight title right off the bat.&rdquo;<br><br>(&#127909; <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JoseYoungs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>@JoseYoungs<\/a>) <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/PpJt1vUYwE\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>pic.twitter.com\/PpJt1vUYwE<\/a><\/p>&mdash; MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MMAFighting\/status\/1894032032423915725?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>February 24, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does Ilia Topuria deserve a title shot immediately?<\/h2><p>Topuria is currently undefeated and has an overall record of 16-0-0. While we understand that Topuria only defended his featherweight title once, it is not always about the quantity of fighters you&rsquo;ve won over, it&rsquo;s also about the quality. See, Topuria has defeated two of the greatest fighters in the featherweight division. <\/p><p>He knocked Alexander Volkanovski out cold in UFC 298 and he also beat Max Holloway at <a href=\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/mma\/\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>UFC <\/a>308, who is a future hall of famer. Looking at who he beat, how he beat them, and his perfect record, we think Topuria deserves a title shot straight away.<\/p><p>Also Read: <a href=\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/middleweight-champion-dricus-du-plessis-slams-brendan-allen-after-second-straight-loss\/\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis Slams Brendan Allen After Second Straight Loss<\/a><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Paddy Pimblett says Ilia Topuria moving up to lightweight will be &ldquo;the downfall of his career&rdquo; &#128563;<br><br>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a midget lad. He&rsquo;s not a lightweight&hellip; He should&rsquo;ve stuck at featherweight. It&rsquo;s gonna be the downfall of his career.&rdquo;<br><br>&#127909; Round Eight Boxing<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/DbuhKrqUxW\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>pic.twitter.com\/DbuhKrqUxW<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ChampRDS\/status\/1894233588930932888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>February 25, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure><p>On the other side, Islam Makhachev&rsquo;s team does not think that Topuria deserves a title shot straight away. Makhachev&rsquo;s manager, Rizvan Magomedov, thinks that Topuria needs to fight some of the top contenders in the lightweight division. The number one contender, currently, is Arman Tsarukyan. However, Topuria and his team have no interest in fighting anyone else other than Makhachev. Let us break it down further.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Topuria has his eye on the ultimate prize and nothing else<\/h2><p>According to redcorner.mma, Topuria has refused to fight top contender Arman Tsarukyan, as stated by his team to Russian media agency TASS. Tsarukyan has been patiently waiting for a title shot since 2019 and he is finally in a position to challenge Islam for the belt. <\/p><p>However, Topuria&rsquo;s arrival in the lightweight category, has created chaos in the lightweight division and even <a href=\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/mma\/\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>UFC <\/a>president, Dana White, is not sure whom should Islam fight next. It can&rsquo;t be Tsarukyan, who was the top contender until he withdrew from injury. The UFC supremo Dana White explicitly told the media that Arman will have to &lsquo;rebuild&rsquo; his case for a title shot!<\/p><p>Topuria and his team wants a title shot straight away and nothing else apart from that. A source told the agency that <em><strong>&ldquo;Ilia wants a championship fight. He will not fight for the status of a contender with Tsarukyan or anyone else.&rdquo;<\/strong><\/em><\/p><blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DGdSZZoMnze\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DGdSZZoMnze\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DGdSZZoMnze\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>A post shared by RED CORNER MMA (@redcorner.mma)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><p><strong>Also Read: <a href=\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/belal-muhammad-shares-insight-on-potential-jon-jones-vs-tom-aspinall-showdown\/\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>Belal Muhammad Shares Insight On Potential Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall Showdown!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"mm-layout mm-layout-type-post mm-layout-slot4\">\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ilia Topuria has now vacated the featherweight title and has moved up to the lightweight division. Him and his team have made it clear that they only want to fight Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title and nobody else. So this begs the question; does Ilia Topuria deserve the title fight straight away without fighting [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":23052,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_mux_skip_reasons":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1783],"tags":[1861,1963,1821,1983],"class_list":["post-23045","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mma","tag-arman-tsarukyan","tag-ilia-topuria","tag-islam-makhachev","tag-ufc"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Ilia Topuria Wants Title Shot Next Against P4P King Islam Makhachev, As Per Sources! - The Playoffs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ilia Topuria has vacated the featherweight title and has now moved up to the lightweight division. Him and his team have made it clear that Topuria only wants to fight Makhachev for the lightweight title and is not going to entertain any top contenders from the lightweight division.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/ilia-topuria-refuses-to-fight-anyone-else-other-than-islam-makhachev-himself\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ilia Topuria Wants Title Shot Next Against P4P King Islam Makhachev, As Per Sources! - The Playoffs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ilia Topuria has vacated the featherweight title and has now moved up to the lightweight division. 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