Feud escalates as Ilia Topuria scorches Islam Makhachev in no-holds-barred response

Ilia Topuria claimed Islam Makhachev is "a coward" and "ran away" from their potential fight.

Earlier this week, ufc-s-recently-announced-title-fights" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Dana White went on Instagram Live and announced that Topuria will fight Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title in the UFC 317 main event on June 28.

Topuria, who vacated the featherweight title after knocking out Max Holloway, hoped to fight Makhachev for the 155-pound throne.

Instead, Makhachev decided to vacate his lightweight title and move up to welterweight after Jack Della Maddalena recently dethroned Belal Muhammad at UFC 315.

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On Thursday, Makhachev responded to Topuria calling him out for leaving the lightweight division. He wrote on X:

"Difference between me and you, that I cleaned top list in my division, moved to next, but you ran away from two contenders who had consecutive 5-9 wins in FW division. You are nobody in LW division, just a big mouth from Spain with nice haircut. Go get one W, and we can talk boy."

Topuria responded to Makhachev by saying:

"The difference between you and me is that I am a man and you are a coward. I speak and fight. you talk and hide. Run away far, leaving no trace. Ты маленький пацан."

Check out Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria's comments below:

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Ilia Topuria disses Islam Makhachev while sending warning to Charles Oliveira

Ilia Topuria has a tough challenge ahead of him against former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. Following Dana White's official fight announcement, Topuria called out Oliveira while also dissing Islam Makhachev. He wrote on X:

"On June 28, another dream will come true. I’ll be the champion of the lightweight division. Charles, my apologies in advance… I’m just fighting for my dreams. It’s unfortunate that Makhachev ran away. 17-0"

Check out Ilia Topuria's post below:

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Ilia Topuria became a massive UFC superstar in 2024 by securing back-to-back knockout wins against featherweight legends Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway.

Meanwhile, 'Do Bronx' solidified his legacy between 2021 and 2022 by winning title fights against Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje.

Oliveira last fought in November 2024, defeating Chandler by unanimous decision in a rematch to earn the title fight against Topuria.

About the author

Jake Foley is a journalist at Sportskeeda, specializing in covering all forms of combat sports, including MMA, Boxing, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai. His passion is ignited by the exceptional fusion of physical and mental skills demanded by world-class fighters in these sports. Jake is captivated by the intricate mix of fierce determination and a modest mindset exhibited by athletes in these disciplines. He also finds the atmosphere of major championships, like the epic clash between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, truly unparalleled.

Jake has earned his UFC credentials to cover the major events for Sportskeeda and has conducted several interviews.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi