"I believe him", "Would be insane honestly" - Fans erupt as Ilia Topuria vows to choke out Islam Makhachev in front of Khabib Nurmagomedov

Fans reacted after Ilia Topuria vowed to submit UFC lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev in front of his mentor and friend, Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Topuria has vacated his featherweight belt and officially moved up to the lightweight division in pursuit of a second title. He has been demanding an immediate title shot against Makhachev and has allegedly claimed that the UFC promised him the opportunity.

However, Makhachev has dismissed the idea of giving a direct shot to Topuria and stressed that he needs to prove himself against top contenders to earn the shot.

Speaking to Patrick Bet-David on the PBD Podcast, Topuria promised that in a potential bout against Makhachev, he would ask the champion about his favorite submission and then finish the fight using that move right in front of his friend, ‘The Eagle’. The Spaniard said:

“I would ask him like what's your favourite submission? I'm gonna submit you with that… I will take him close to Khabib. I will submit him close to Khabib. “

Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below:

Championship Rounds shared the clip on X, which sparked reactions from MMA fans who flooded the comment section with their thoughts.

One fan expressed confidence in Topuria, highlighting his past performances where he proved the MMA community wrong, writing:

“He's proven the MMA world wrong twice. No reason he can't do it again.”

Another fan also expressed confidence in Topuria, commenting:

“I believe him.”

One X user added:

“Would be insane honestly 🤣.”

Another fan commented:

“I believe him. Would be soo embarrassing if he can't even get through Charles [Oliveira].”

Check out more fan reactions below:

Fan reactions. [Screenshots courtesy: @ChampRDS on X]

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Alexander Volkanovski weighs in on potential Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria bout

Alexander Volkanovski has faced both Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev, suffering knockout defeats to both.

Speaking to Daniel Cormier, Volkanovski shared his thoughts on a potential title clash between Topuria and Makhachev. The Australian emphasized that if the fight goes the full five rounds, the Dagestani would likely come out victorious.

But, Volkanovski also highlighted the power that ‘La Leyenda’ possesses, suggesting that if the Spaniard catches the pound-for-pound king, he could finish him. ‘The Great’ said:

“Ilia is that dangerous. The only way I see Islam losing is someone catching him... But who’s got the best chance of doing that? Someone like Ilia. It’s definitely a fun fight. I think if it goes 25 minutes, it’s all Islam. But there’s a good chance Ilia can catch him because he’s obviously got that very tidy boxing. Them earlier rounds, I think his takedown defense might help him a bit… But them later rounds, what I thought he’d struggle with Max, but he was able to put him out before then, would be the same case with Islam.”

Check out Alexander Volkanovski’s comments below (18:00):