Ilia Topuria didn’t like what he saw at UFC 322. After Islam Makhachev’s one-sided decision win over Jack Della Maddalena, Topuria jumped on social media and labeled Makhachev “the most boring thing in this game,” adding that he needs something he “can’t train: emotion.”

Topuria has talked for years about fighting Makhachev, but the timing is messy right now. Topuria is currently on a personal hiatus, and the UFC has moved forward with an interim lightweight title fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 on January 24, 2026.

Ilia Topuria fires back at Islam Makhachev over stalled superfight

When Ilia Topuria was asked about Makhachev, he didn’t hold back. “Let’s get straight to Islam,” the host of Eldoberdan MMA asked. “What can you tell me about him? The situation seems to have gotten a little cold.” His frustration evident, Topuria replied, “I’ve always wanted to have that fight. I’ve always been willing to defend my title at 155 pounds. We’ll see.”

He acknowledged the fan demand but questioned Makhachev’s commitment: “Everyone knows it’s a fight that everyone wants to see. And for some reason, he hasn’t accepted it yet.” Topuria then shifted to attack mode, dismissing Makhachev’s recent comments. “And then he talks too much. It’s very easy to talk from thousands of kilometers.” The Georgian-Spaniard warned the former lightweight king about underestimating him. “But later, when you’re in the octagon with me, you’ll start to realize that I’m not Jack Della Maddalena. That I’m not Dan Hooker. That I’m not all those packages you’ve faced before.” Here, the tone shifted quickly from Topuria sharing his thoughts to a daring callout.

“When I land my right hand on you, you’re gonna have a very, very long sleep. And that wrestling he thinks he has, we’ll see how well it works on me. I consider my strong point to be on the ground, but lately I’ve accepted that it is not what the public wants to see, although with Islam, perhaps it is something that the public wants to see,” Topuria stated. As if that wasn’t enough, the lightweight champion decided to bring in his mentor and UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov into the conversation.

“To dominate him standing up, land two-three good shots, and then submit him in his corner in front of Khabib. They’re so cocky and arrogant that I would really love to submit him infront of Khabib,” the lightweight champion said. Then, in a direct threat to Khabib, the 28-year-old stated, “And if Khabib wants to step in afterward, I’ll gladly step on his head too.”

Topuria’s comments were more profound than plain pre-fight talk. In a way, he is daring Makhachev to prove that he is not just a speaker but also a fighter. The former featherweight champion thinks the former lightweight king is avoiding him while critiquing from the cover of a long way off. His mention of Della Maddalena and Hooker is intentional and painful. Makhachev, not long ago, won against Della Maddalena at UFC 322, but Topuria views such victories as merely leeching off less talented opponents.

The Georgian-Spaniard portrays himself as a whole different species. He is neither just a grappler nor just a striker, so Makhachev can easily dominate him. Topuria’s assertiveness stems from the conviction that he can finish fights in a matter of seconds. Topuria believes Makhachev’s control-heavy approach won’t translate the same way against his power and finishing threats.

Paddy Pimblett is ready to prove doubters wrong against Ilia Topuria

As Ilia Topuria continues to insult Islam Makhachev, another lightweight contender has already set his eyes on Topuria. Paddy Pimblett refuses to give up his dream of fighting for the undisputed UFC lightweight title with Topuria, no matter where or how the fight takes place. The fighter from Liverpool will face Justin Gaethje for the interim title at UFC 324, which will take place on January 24 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Pimblett’s chance at glory comes just as Topuria is taking time off from MMA for personal reasons. Topuria revealed in a post on social media earlier this month that he is absent from the UFC because of the false domestic violence claims. The situation of the featherweight champion is still unclear, but Pimblett is not quitting the feud with Topuria, which has been the longest one in his career.

“Yeah, I want to beat Ilia,” Pimblett declared. “I want to prove to everyone that I can beat him because no one thinks I can. So that’s what I want to do.” The 30-year-old acknowledged the possibility of being upgraded to undisputed champion without facing Topuria. “If he doesn’t end up fighting, you never know, once I beat Justin, I could end up being like Tom Aspinall and just getting promoted to undisputed champ.”

Despite their heated history, Pimblett showed restraint regarding Topuria’s personal issues. “I’m never going to say nothing bad about someone’s family, it’s just not me,” he said. “Everything between me Ilia and me is between Ilia and. I’d like to think he’d never mention my family, and I wouldn’t mention his.”

Pimblett’s focus remains clear: beat Gaethje first, then settle the score with Topuria if the opportunity arises.