Belal Muhammad, well-acquainted with the rigorous path to a UFC title opportunity, expressed confusion regarding Ilia Topuria`s potential bypass for a shot, especially after Topuria voluntarily relinquished his featherweight belt to move up a division.
Since announcing his permanent transition to the 155-pound weight class, Topuria has vocally pursued a fight against reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, even claiming the UFC had promised him the matchup. Makhachev pushed back, highlighting the criticism he faced for his two victories over former featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski. He argued that defeating another fighter from the 145-pound division wouldn`t significantly enhance his legacy unless Topuria first proved himself as a legitimate contender in the lightweight ranks.
Muhammad, who shares a close relationship and training bond with Makhachev, concurred with this perspective and dismissed any notion that the UFC`s lightweight champion is avoiding competition.
“It’s crazy,” Muhammad stated. “People consistently refuse to acknowledge Team Khabib [Nurmagomedov] and desperately want to see them lose. They aim to dismiss and spread negativity regardless of the achievement. When Islam defeated [Alexander] Volkanovski, who was the pound-for-pound best at the time, in a close fight, they said, ‘Oh, he’s not good… he didn’t finish him, he should have finished him, he’s a 145er.’ Then, when he went out and finished him, they shifted to, ‘Well, Volkanovski is just a ’45er.’
“Now, Topuria, who I believe is slightly smaller than Volkanovski, is moving up. If Islam dominates him, the narrative will still be, ‘Oh well, he’s a ’45er, he can just go back down.’ There truly is nothing for Islam to gain by fighting him.”
Recent rumors suggest Topuria is aiming for the upcoming UFC 317 event on June 28 during International Fight Week, with expectations that he will challenge for a lightweight title, whether or not Makhachev is involved. This raises questions about the potential introduction of an interim title or the highly improbable scenario of Makhachev being stripped of his belt.
Neither of these possibilities appealed to Muhammad, who regards Makhachev as the sport`s current top pound-for-pound fighter and someone whose willingness to accept all challenges is immortalized with a quote at the UFC Performance Institute.
“When Islam said let him fight somebody else, earn it, he wasn’t saying, ‘I won’t fight him.’ He’s saying let him earn it,” Muhammad clarified. “We’ve already faced this. People are already questioning my own record, hating on me no matter what. So, let Topuria go out there, defeat someone like Charles Oliveira. Why would it need to be for a title? You vacated your belt. You chose to move up on your own. You didn’t want to cut the weight.”
“It’s not like you defended the belt 10 times at [featherweight] or five times. When Volkanovski moved up, he had already beaten everyone in his division. He earned his shot to move up. Topuria, at the time he moved, still had opponents like Diego Lopes, Yair [Rodriguez], [Movsar] Evloev, who is undefeated, remaining at 145. He’s simply choosing to move up on his own. That’s why I believe he should have at least one more fight at 155 to earn a title shot. It shouldn’t be an interim title opportunity. It shouldn’t be anything given that Islam defends his title annually.”
It`s difficult to dispute this reasoning, considering Makhachev`s dominance since becoming lightweight champion and his record-setting run with four title defenses in the division. Furthermore, Muhammad firmly believes Topuria must prove himself capable at 155 pounds. In Topuria`s only prior fight in the division within the UFC, he was momentarily stunned by Jai Herbert before ultimately securing a knockout victory.
Muhammad knows from personal experience that Makhachev poses an imposing threat on the ground, something Topuria should also remember. Additionally, there is no shortage of potential contenders already established at 155 pounds whom Makhachev could face before Topuria potentially jumps the line.
“[Topuria] already went up there and got dropped by Jai Herbert,” Muhammad recalled. “We’ve also seen him taken down by Bryce Mitchell. If Islam gets on top of you, takes you down, you are not getting back up. If Islam connects with that head kick, you are not getting back up.”
“For [Makhachev’s team], the question is, what is there to gain from this? What benefit is there for Islam besides potentially the money? It’s similar to how [Makhachev hasn’t] fought Justin Gaethje yet. No matter who Justin fights, he deserves a title shot. He could have just one win and still fight for the title. Paddy Pimblett is currently on a long winning streak. There are numerous fighters at 155 he can face. Arman [Tsarukyan] is still there. There are other opponents available. So, he is not desperate to have to fight a ’45er.”
