"Dude's straight up scared" - MMA X reacts as fan accuses Islam Makhachev of double standards for reportedly refusing to fight Ilia Topuria

Fans gave mixed reactions to a claim made in a social media post by an MMA enthusiast, suggesting that Islam Makhachev might be avoiding a tough fight against Ilia Topuria. Topuria, the former UFC featherweight title holder recently vacated the title to pursue a second title at lightweight.

While rumors indicated that the UFC was attempting to schedule a fight between him and lightweight champion Makhachev during the 2025 International Fight Week, Makhachev's team recently disclosed that they declined to fight the Spaniard.

A fan recently shared a screenshot of Makhachev's old X post where he expressed that a champion must never back down from a challenge, irrespective of the opponent. The fan argued Makhachev's willingness to fight Renato Moicano on short notice, yet refusal to face Topuria with a full training camp, suggests he might be afraid of losing to 'El Matador' and stands in stark contrast with his own quote. The caption read:

"The energy completely changes when the opponent is Ilia Topuria and not "Renato Moicano".

Fans expressed their opinions in the comments section regarding the claim. Some supported the fan's theory, while others defended Makhachev's decision. They argued that fighting another featherweight does not enhance the value of the Dagestani fighter's title reign. The first two title defenses of Makhachev's lightweight title reign came against former featherweight title holder Alexander Volkanovski.

One fan commented:

"Dude's straight-up scared. Those Georgian- German- Spaniards can throw a punch!!! @danawhite make it happen, bro. You know this would be the best fight to make outside of Jones vs. Aspinall."

Another fan reacted:

"Ilia is undeserving and does nothing for Islam’s resume. Everyone will just say he beat another small guy."

Check out more fan reactions below:

Fan reactions

Fan reactions

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Daniel Cormier believes that a potential win over Ilia Topuria will only strengthen doubters' case against Islam Makhachev

In a recent video uploaded on his YouTube channel, former UFC champion Daniel Cormier, who is also a teammate of Islam Makhachev, explained why he chose not to fight Ilia Topuria. Cormier expressed that many people tend to seek reasons to discredit dominant champions, and facing Topuria could provide a similar opportunity for his critics to discredit him.

Cormier said:

“I don’t know that Islam should fight him first. For Makhachev, he goes and beats Ilia Topuria, right? People will say he beat Alexander Volkanovski, Ilia Topuria, Charles Oliveira and Renato Moicano, seems pretty good - that’s five title fight wins. But in that, they’ll say, ‘He’s defended the belt three times against featherweights.’"

He added:

"At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what you do or in how high a regard you hold someone; the fact that he was a champion in a lower weight class, is what’s going to be pointed to the moment Islam beats him."

Check out Daniel Cormier's comments below: