Just a few months back, Ilia Topuria made it clear that sticking around at featherweight no longer served him. The main reason was that he had already defeated two of the division’s all-time greats with ease. The second reason is that he doesn’t want to endure the brutal 40-pound weight cuts, and the toll is simply no longer worth it. Craving a fresh challenge, ‘La Leyenda’ set his sights on the deep and dangerous waters of the lightweight division.

However, there’s one problem! The former featherweight champion has made it clear that the only fight he wants is for the title against Islam Makhachev. But he is yet to receive any green signal from the Dagestani camp. For Makhachev, a fight against Topuria will not help him with his legacy. Moreover, he is not interested in giving him yet another 145fer a chance at this gold. Remember his two outings with Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284 and UFC 294, respectively? It seems natural that winning against a former featherweight champion will only lead to criticism.

Moreover, it is no secret that Makhachev wants to move up to 170lbs and go for a second belt. “I’m not going to leave this sport without a second belt. This is my goal.” This was indeed confirmed by Khabib Nurmagomedov recently in an interview with Adam Zubayraev. “Islam wants to fight at 170lb, but we can’t go up there because Belal is the champion. [He] is very close to us. If Della Maddalena was the champion, Islam would fight him for sure. As far as I see it, the UFC are waiting for the event in May, where Belal and Maddalena are set to fight each other.”

Makhachev has previously said that Topuria can “move up and earn his shot” before fighting for the gold. While Nurmagomedov said in the same interview with Zubayraev, “Islam doesn’t have much time left either. He will be 34 soon. Islam wants to fight big names who really deserve it. Guys who have been in the 155lbs division for a long time. Nothing personal, but if you are moving up a weight class, earn it.”

And it seems that verbose analyst Chael Sonnen agrees with what the Dagestanis say. ‘The American Gangster’ took to his YouTube channel to give his insight about the current situation. Sonnen feels the biggest reason for the Dagestani camp not wanting to give him the chance is that Topuria is yet to prove himself in the division.

The 48-year-old said, “So make sure that you understand. Okay? I want to make sure that you really understand this. Islam is not going to fight Ilia. And it’s for one reason. Islam’s had four opportunities plus a manager plus Khabib. That’s six times speaking for Islam. All saying in unison the same thing. I am not going to face Ilia because Ilia has not proven himself at 155 pounds. Okay. Islam would like to go to 170lbs, and he would like to challenge for the championship of the world. So, for anybody at 170lbs to say, I’m not going to face you because you have yet to prove yourself. Do you see where it becomes a problem?”

Every fighter in any given division works hard for a title shot. However, at the end of the day, it all depends on the UFC’s nod and who they wish to push into the title picture. Topuria is confident that he will get his title fight with Makhachev and even mentioned that White promised him this very thing even before moving up.

He even believes that he has all the skill sets to get past the challenge of the Dagestani champion. But many experts and fans believe that the former featherweight champion will be humbled by the champion. However, Arman Tsarukyan doesn’t quite think the same.

Arman Tsarukyan is confident about Ilia Topuria’s chance against Islam Makhachev

With International Fight Week right around the corner, Ilia Topuria has turned up the heat even more. As already mentioned, the Spanish-Georgian star has revealed that he’ll be stepping into the Octagon on June 28th at UFC 317. Meanwhile, word is that the reigning lightweight champion has already begun his training camp, fueling speculation that the two might finally collide.

And although the superfight isn’t official just yet, fans and analysts alike are already breaking down every strength, flaw, and stylistic edge in anticipation. Now, Arman Tsarukyan—who was originally slated to face Islam Makhachev at UFC 311—has weighed in on this superfight. According to Tsarukyan, the former featherweight champ brings two key weapons to the table that could pose serious problems for Makhachev: his compact frame and his devastating knockout power.

In an interview with Yaroslav Stepanov of Sport 24, the 28-year-old shared his honest opinion on the fight. He said, “He’s short. It will be hard for Islam to shoot for his legs. He’s a hard hitter with good balance, and he can knock out Islam any moment. If he lands, he’ll drop Islam. But, the question is, if Islam will fight in his range, that I don’t think so. I think he will keep his distance and strike from outside. And, when Topuria gets close, he will take him down or clinch him.”

Do you feel Ilia Topuria will be able to pull off the unthinkable against Islam Makhachev? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.