Trash talk in MMA usually stays within certain boundaries of respect. Fighters attack each other’s skills, fighting styles, and past performances. But sometimes the insults cross into personal territory. Ilia Topuria recently stepped over that line with comments about Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov was not having it.<\/p>
He made a bizarre statement at a press conference in Georgia. He said if Makhachev loses to Jack Della Maddalena, Islam should go back to Dagestan and “herd the sheep.” Dagestan is a rural based community and farming is a way of life for the people there. But, it has produced some of the greatest fighters in all of combat sports history. The region’s fighting pedigree speaks for itself without needing any defense.<\/p>