Drawing on his extensive experience in earning a shot at UFC gold, Belal Muhammad expressed his bewilderment regarding Ilia Topuria`s presumed path to an immediate title challenge. Topuria recently vacated his featherweight championship with the declared intent of permanently moving up to the lightweight division.
Since announcing his move to 155 pounds, Topuria has been vocal about his desire to face the reigning lightweight king, Islam Makhachev, even suggesting the UFC had guaranteed him this chance. Makhachev, however, pushed back, highlighting the criticism he faced for his two victories over former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. He argued that defeating another fighter from the 145-pound division wouldn`t significantly enhance his legacy unless Topuria first clearly established himself as a top contender in the lightweight ranks.
Muhammad, who shares a close bond and training relationship with Makhachev, echoed these sentiments and dismissed the notion that the UFC lightweight champion is avoiding any opponent.
“It`s astonishing,” Muhammad commented. “People consistently deny respect to Team Khabib [Nurmagomedov]. They desperately wish to see them fall and are quick to criticize them regardless of the situation. When Islam defeated Alexander Volkanovski, who was then the pound-for-pound best, in a competitive fight, the response was, `He`s not that good… he didn`t finish him, he should have finished him, Volkanovski is just a featherweight.` Then, when he went on to finish Volkanovski in the rematch, it shifted to, `Well, Volkanovski is still just a `45er anyway.`”
“Now you have Topuria, who I believe is slightly smaller than Volkanovski, moving up, and if Islam dominates him, the narrative will be, `Oh well, he`s a `45er, he can always drop back down.` There`s genuinely nothing for Islam to gain from taking that fight.”
Recent speculation suggests Topuria is aiming for the UFC 317 event on June 28th during International Fight Week for his next outing, reportedly expecting a lightweight title shot, whether against Makhachev or for an interim belt.
Does this imply an interim title could be introduced? Or is it even conceivable that Makhachev might be stripped of his championship?
Neither scenario appeals to Muhammad, who rightfully views Makhachev as the current top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. He is the kind of athlete whose dedication to facing all challenges is immortalized with one of his quotes displayed at the UFC Performance Institute.
“When Islam said let him fight someone else, let him earn it, he wasn`t refusing the fight,” Muhammad clarified. “He`s saying Topuria needs to prove himself. We`ve already navigated this. People are already trying to dismiss my own resume, hating on me unfairly. So, let him go out there, beat a prominent lightweight like Charles Oliveira. Why should it immediately be for a title? You relinquished your belt voluntarily. You chose to move up on your own because you didn`t want to make the weight cut.”
“It`s not as if you defended the featherweight belt ten times or even five times. When Volkanovski moved up, it was after he had cleared out his division, having beaten everyone. He earned that opportunity to challenge Islam. Topuria, at the time he moved, still had significant challenges at 145, including Diego Lopes, Yair Rodriguez, and the undefeated Movsar Evloev. There were plenty of fighters left for him to face in his original division. He`s choosing to move up on his own terms. That`s why I believe he should absolutely compete in at least one fight at 155 pounds to truly earn a title shot. It shouldn`t involve an interim title or any other shortcut, especially when Islam is actively defending his belt annually.”
It`s difficult to dispute Muhammad`s logic, considering Makhachev`s impressive dominance since becoming lightweight champion. His record-breaking run includes four title defenses, the most in the history of the UFC`s 155-pound division. Furthermore, Muhammad genuinely feels Topuria needs to prove his capabilities specifically in the lightweight division. Topuria`s only prior fight at this weight in the UFC saw him hurt early by Jai Herbert before securing a knockout win.
Based on his personal experience, Muhammad knows firsthand that Makhachev is a formidable force on the ground, a reality Topuria would be wise to acknowledge. Additionally, there is no shortage of potential challengers already established within the 155-pound division whom Makhachev could face before Topuria potentially bypasses them.
“[Topuria] has been up there before. Jai Herbert dropped him,” Muhammad recalled. “We`ve also seen Bryce Mitchell take him down. If Islam gets on top of you, takes you down, you`re not getting back up. If Islam lands that head kick on you, you`re not getting back up either.”
“For Islam`s team, the question is, what is there to gain from this fight? What does Islam gain, aside from just the money? It`s similar to why he hasn`t fought Justin Gaethje yet. No matter who Justin fights, he seems to be considered deserving of a title shot. He could have just one win and fight for the title. Paddy Pimblett is also on a significant winning streak currently. There are other established contenders at 155 he can fight. Arman Tsarukyan is still in the mix. So, Islam is not desperate to fight someone from the `45ers` division.”
