Belal Muhammad shares why Ilia Topuria moving up to lightweight puts Islam Makhachev in a "bad spot": "They want to see that team lose"

Ilia Topuria has his sights set on a lightweight title clash with Islam Makhachev. 'El Matador' recently vacated his featherweight throne, with the weight cut to 145 pounds proving too much for him at this stage of his career.

Makhachev also has desires to move divisions, with his scope fixated on the welterweight division. However, Belal Muhammad, a friend and part-time teammate of the Dagestani's, holds the title at 170 pounds.

Muhammad will be defending his title for the first time when he faces Jack Della Maddalena in the main event of UFC 315 on May 10. Ahead of the bout, he was interviewed by MMA Junkie, where he explained how Topuria's lightweight move has left Makhachev in an awkward position.

He said:

"It puts [Makhachev] in a bad spot. Everybody is calling for Ilia, and then you look at the comments and it's like, 'He's only fought featherweights.' Then he goes out there and beats Ilia... [The fans will say], 'Well we told you Ilia was too small.' And Ilia can always go back down... They want to see them lose, they want to see that team lose... People hate greatness, people hate success."

Catch Belal Muhammad discuss Ilia Topuria's lightweight move below (8:25):

Makhachev defended his lightweight title against then-featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284 and UFC 294. He then defeated Dustin Poirier at UFC 302.

The Dagestani defeated Renato Moicano at UFC 311 on Jan. 18. But the 33-year-old's win over Moicano has been marked with an asterisk by some fans, with the Brazilian replacing Makhachev's original opponent, Arman Tsarukyan, in a day's notice.

Muhammad believes whether the 155-pound king defeats Topuria or not, he will not likely given the credit he deserves.

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Alexander Volkanovski predicts Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria clash

Having faced Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria, Alexander Volkanovski is fully qualified to break down how a potential clash between the pair would unfold. With Topuria's decision to move on from the featherweight title, many expect him to be the next man up for Makhachev.

Should that be the case, Volkanovski shared his thoughts on how the fight would go down during a recent interview with Ariel Helwani. He said:

"Ilia is a dangerous fighter and he can catch anyone... If he was to land, he could definitely knock [Makhachev] out. I think that's gonna be hard to do. Islam's a pretty safe fighter... Ilia has a better chance than most."

Catch Alex Volkanovski predict Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria below (24:30):