Khabib Nurmagomedov has made it clear that he isn’t particularly interested in seeing Islam Makhachev defend his lightweight title against Ilia Topuria, even if the UFC promised the rising star a shot. Earlier this year, Topuria made waves in the MMA world by vacating his 145-pound belt to challenge Makhachev, the reigning lightweight champion. According to Topuria, the UFC promised him an immediate title fight, but so far, no official announcements have been made regarding Makhachev’s next defense. 

From Khabib’s perspective, the fight with Topuria wouldn’t add much to Makhachev’s legacy. In fact, he believes that it could harm Islam’s resume. Last month, Khabib shot down any potential matchup between Makhachev and Topuria, and now he is doubling down on his stance. He argued that Makhachev already defended his title twice against fighters from the 145-pound division and emerged victorious each time.

“I don’t know what kind of agreements Topuria and UFC had, but from Islam’s side, he already gave two title shots to 145-pound champions,” Khabib explained. “Both times Islam won. Now a third time? Okay, let’s imagine Topuria moves up and gets a title shot right away. Islam beats him. Then Topuria fights again. He loses again. So basically he was a nobody at 155. Islam beat a nobody at 155. Because of that, in terms of legacy, for Islam, for his resume, I understand Islam’s risks.”

Instead of Topuria, Khabib believes a better challenge for Makhachev would be Arman Tsarukyan, who he believes is a more competitive opponent. Khabib has repeatedly emphasized that we haven’t seen Topuria fight at 155 pounds, making it difficult to gauge how well he would perform in the higher weight class. “In my opinion, not necessarily [more] dangerous, let’s say more competitive, I think it’s Tsarukyan,” Khabib continued. “I think Arman is a more serious fighter than Topuria. Topuria is a good fighter at 145, but we haven’t seen him at 155. I believe Arman is more competitive for Islam.”

Tsarukyan had been scheduled to fight Makhachev earlier in the year, but he withdrew from the fight 24 hours before the event, citing a back injury. However, Dana White hinted that there might have been more behind Tsarukyan’s withdrawal than just the injury, causing some friction between the fighter and the UFC president. Instead of rebooking the fight, Tsarukyan has had to “go back to the drawing board” and work on his next move.

With Khabib refusing to give Topuria a shot at Makhachev and Dana White suggesting consequences for Tsarukyan, the lightweight division’s third-ranked contender, Justin Gaethje, is now the most likely opponent for Makhachev’s next title defense. Makhachev and his team have been vocal about wanting to fight Gaethje for some time, and it seems they are on the verge of securing that matchup.

As the lightweight division continues to heat up, all eyes are now on Makhachev’s next move. While Topuria may be eager to challenge for the belt, Khabib’s influence and his push for a Tsarukyan fight could sway the UFC’s decision. With Gaethje also waiting in the wings, it’s clear that the top contenders are all looking for a shot at the champion, and Makhachev’s path to maintaining his title could involve some intriguing matchups ahead