"He’s not desperate" - Belal Muhammad scoffs at Ilia Topuria’s title shot talk, questions logic of matching him with Islam Makhachev

UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad recently chimed in on the much-discussed possible matchup between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria for the UFC lightweight title. As of recent events, Topuria relinquished his featherweight title to move up to 155 pounds to challenge for Makhachev's throne.

The problem is, the Dagestani champion doesn't feel Ilia Topuria deserves a shot at the lightweight belt right away. This is echoed by his friend Belal Muhammad, who spoke to Damon Martin of MMA Fighting, saying:

"So now, [Ilia] Topuria, I think he's a little bit smaller than [Alexander] Volkanovski.. He's going to move up, and if Islam [Makhachev] dominates him, [then it's] 'Oh well, he's a 45er. He can go back down. There's really nothing to gain for Islam for fighting him. So when he [Makhachev] said, 'Oh, let him fight somebody else, earn it.' He's not saying, 'I won't fight him', he's saying let him earn it."

Elaborating on Islam Makhachev's side, Muhammad said:

"So for them [Makhachev's team], it's like, 'What am I going to gain from it?' What is there to gain for Islam besides just the money?... There's guys at 55 that he can fight. Arman [Tsarukyan] is still there. There are other opponents for him to fight. So he's not desperate to have to fight a 45er."

Listen to Belal Muhammad's full comments here:

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Khabib Nurmagomedov goes into detail why it's not good for Islam Makhachev's "legacy" if he fights Ilia Topuria

While Belal Muhammad sees a fight with Ilia Topuria as something that doesn't serve Islam Makhachev's career other than money, Khabib Nurmagomedov sees the matchup as quite damaging to the lightweight champ's legacy, even if he wins.

In an interview with Adam Zubayraev last week, Makhachev's mentor and coach explained why beating Ilia Topuria might hurt Makhachev's legitimacy as a pound-for-pound great, saying (0:35):

"Okay, let's imagine Topuria moves up and gets a title shot right away. Islam beats him. Then Topuria fights again. He loses again. So basically, he was a nobody at 155. Islam beat a nobody at 155. Because of that, in terms of legacy, for Islam, for his resume, I understand Islam's risks."

In terms of who he thinks is a better, more compelling matchup for Makhachev, Nurmagomedov named one man (0:07):

"In my opinion - not necessarily dangerous - let's say more competitive, I think it's [Arman] Tsarukyan. I think Arman is a more serious fighter than [Ilia] Topuria. Topuria is a good fighter at 145. But we haven't seen him at 155. I believe Arman is more competitive for Islam [Makhachev]."

Listen to Khabib Nurmagomedov here: