"It's normal to be scared" - Fans weigh in as Ilia Topuria reacts to Khabib Nurmagomedov possibly advising Islam Makhachev against fighting him

Fans had mixed reactions when Ilia Topuria recently suggested that Khabib Nurmagomedov might have advised Islam Makhachev against facing 'El Matador'. After successfully winning and defending the UFC featherweight title in 2024, Topuria expressed his desire to move up a weight class and challenge Makhachev for the lightweight title.

Makhachev, who has fought Topuria's predecessor, Alexander Volkanovski, twice, has been hesitant to fight another featherweight champion and has stated his interest in competing for the welterweight and middleweight titles instead.

Despite this, Topuria believes Makhachev may be afraid to fight him. In a recent interview with Marca, Topuria stated:

"Of course, he's afraid. As usual, it's an easy fight until they put your name on the contract. We all know, if it were that easy and if I'm small as he says, he would already share the octagon with me. There's a reason he doesn't want to. I understand. So, it's okay. Go up. It's okay."

When the journalist asked to share his thoughts on whether Khabib could be advising Makhachev against fighting him due to the risk involved, Topuria replied:

"Khabib seems to be a good adviser. I want to fight at 155 pounds. I don't really need Islam's name because he's not anything extraordinary either. If he were to stay at lightweight and fight me, it's obviously an exciting fight for the whole public. And if not, we'll build our future."

Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below:

Fans took to the comments section to share their thoughts on Topuria's comments. While some agreed with his opinions, others criticized him for misinterpreting the reasons behind Makhachev's reluctance to fight him.

One fan commented:

"It's normal to be scared when the belt is on the line. Your shot can change everything."

Another wrote:

"Islam will fight short-notice Volkanovski but won't fight us? That just screams."

Check out more fan reactions below:

Fan reactions

Fan reactions

In recent months, Topuria has expressed a desire to fight former champion Charles Oliveira in a title eliminator bout, should Makhachev be unavailable. Meanwhile, a rematch against Volkanovski seems to be on the horizon if Topuria remains in the featherweight division.