Ilia Topuria’s comments about Islam Makhachev appear to have struck a chord with Team Khabib.
During a recent Instagram Live, the reigning UFC featherweight champion welcomed a clash with the promotion’s lightweight titleholder, Islam Makhachev. While Topuria was fairly respectful of Makhachev’s skills, that didn’t stop him from taking a dig at the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ in regards to a potential scrap in the streets.
Ilia Topuria says he'd be down to fight Islam Makhachev
"[Islam] is a great fighter. Sometimes he talks too much… but we can always resolve it in the octagon.
Not in the streets because I'll have to pay for his medical bills."
(h/t @MMAPROSPICK) #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/ykaLQOY3Q0
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 3, 2024
“We can always resolve it in the Octagon, not in the streets because I’ll have to pay for his medical bills,” Topuria said.
That prompted a response from current Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov who questioned Topuria’s toughness with a snappy retort.
“When did you ever fight on the streets, European boy?” Nurmagomedov replied.
Ilia Topuria brings up Nurmagomedov’s recent run-in with the CSAC
Topuria fired right back, poking fun at the Dagestani over a failed drug test following his successful title defense against Brent Primus at Bellator 300 last year.
“It’s been a while, to be honest” Topuria wrote on X. “How’s it going with the drugs? Are you still on steroids?”
Nurmagomedov originally defeated Primus by unanimous decision in the Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix semifinal. However, the California State Athletic Commission overturned the result after Nurmagomedov tested positive for a prescription drug that contained a banned substance.
Nurmagomedov was banned for six months by the CSAC, but due to the accidental nature of the ingestion, he was allowed to keep his lightweight title. He returned to the Bellator cage in September, scoring a decisive win over Alexandr Shabliy.
