Islam Makhachev Fires Back at Ilia Topuria: 'We Both Know Who Chickened Out'
The verbal sparring between UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev and Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria has escalated significantly, with both fighters exchanging sharp accusations regarding a potential future bout.
Topuria, slated to headline the June 14 UFC event against interim Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje, has openly expressed his preference to face Makhachev. He publicly accused Makhachev, who holds a high position in the pound-for-pound rankings, of deliberately avoiding a confrontation at the anticipated "White House" event.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Topuria claimed Makhachev consistently offers "excuses," citing a recent injury as the latest. "I always knew I would be part of the White House event," Topuria stated, recounting how he promptly agreed to fight Makhachev when the opportunity arose, even before official confirmation. However, the following day, he learned of Makhachev's reported injury, which led to Justin Gaethje stepping in. Topuria concluded his statement by saying, "Once again, someone else who will pay for Islam’s escape."
Makhachev swiftly responded to "El Matador," turning the tables by accusing Topuria of "chickening out" from their burgeoning rivalry.
In a direct retort on X, Makhachev wrote: "We both know who chickened out here 😉 You can cover your cowardice with nasty tweets, but don’t worry, one day you will get what you asked for! And your fat ass manager doesn't have to ask for billions to fight me, we’ll do it for free."
With Topuria currently ranked No. 2 in the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings, a potential clash between these two champions would undoubtedly be a highly anticipated event, pitting two of the sport's elite fighters against each other in their athletic primes.
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