Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev’s recent verbal spat is the talk of the MMA world.
Both the former featherweight king and the current lightweight titleholder are planning moves up the divisional ladder to vie for belts in heavier categories. Topuria is set to challenge Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight championship at UFC 317 next month. Meanwhile, Makhachev, the reigning 155-pound champion, is preparing to test the waters at welterweight, potentially facing a top contender like Jack Della Maddalena later in the year.
Topuria`s decision to move up to lightweight followed his historic knockout victory over Max Holloway in his sole featherweight title defense at UFC 308. This move initially sparked speculation about a potential showdown with Makhachev. While the lightweight champ Makhachev had long expressed interest in moving up to welterweight himself, he had previously stated that Topuria should first prove himself against a high-level lightweight contender before earning a fight against him.
Now that Makhachev is also making the jump to welterweight, Topuria has labeled him a `hypocrite,` arguing that Makhachev is doing exactly what he previously criticized Topuria for. This recent exchange has left many fans feeling disappointed, believing they`ve missed out on a major fight. Conversely, some fans are finding humor in the situation and even hoping both fighters might lose their upcoming challenges.
The online MMA community shared their thoughts on this development, with reactions ranging as noted above.
