"Ran like a coward" - Fans react as Islam Makhachev's manager throws shade at Ilia Topuria amid UFC P4P ranking update  

Last weekend, Ilia Topuria stunned the world with his vicious KO of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317. However, Islam Makhachev's manager doesn't seem to be too impressed with the historic win.

For context, when Makhachev and 'do Bronx' clashed at UFC 280, it took the Dagestani two rounds to finish the fight. After flooring the Brazilian with a punch, the former pound-for-pound king quickly locked in an arm triangle to force a tap, winning the lightweight strap in the process.

Many in the MMA community see Topuria's first-round KO over Oliveira as a much more dominant win. On top of that, the post-UFC 317 ranking update saw the Georgian-born Spaniard dethrone Makhachev as the pound-for-pound king.

In a social media post this Tuesday, the sambo maestro's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, took to X and asserted that his client's win over Oliveira was superior to Topuria's:

"@MAKHACHEVMMA beat Charles when he was a Champion, coming off 11-fight win streak 3 years ago. Not taking anything away from Topuria, but numbers don’t lie."

Check out Ali Abdelaziz's X post below:

The Dominance MMA founder's claims ignited a firestorm among the MMA fandom, with many flooding his comments section.

@Aeternus_Lux_ wrote:

"Bro, Islam just ran like a coward from Topuria. He defended his belt against two fighters in the lightweight division. [Renato] Moicano was short notice and isn’t even a top 10."

@ElCristero1926 noted:

"[You] hyping up a fight that Islam don't want."

@roguedesigner1 suggested:

"Easy business then! Let’s get this booked!"

Check out a few more responses below:

Screenshots courtesy @AliAbdelaziz00 on X

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Dana White confirms UFC's interest in Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria

Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria are easily two of the biggest stars in the sport of MMA. Seeing as the pair is not too far apart in weight, a fight between them is something most MMA fans are praying to see come to fruition.

While there were rumblings in the industry about the two clashing as Topuria first revealed his intentions to move up in weight, things have changed since. The wrestling extraordinaire left the lightweight division in the hopes of conquering Jack Della Maddalena's welterweight crown, and 'El Matador' captured Makhachev's old title.

However, when the media quizzed UFC CEO Dana White whether the company would try to pair them up for a superfight in the future, he said:

"Sure, I'd make that fight tomorrow, or Tuesday, I guess we could say."

Check out Dana White's comments on Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria below: