The rivalry between Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev continues to intensify, and it has now pulled another undefeated UFC star into the spotlight. Earlier this month, claims surfaced that Makhachev had suffered a “serious” injury, and the promotion scrapped a potential clash with ‘El Matador’ at the UFC White House event. However, the lightweight champ refused to accept those claims. Instead, he accused Makhachev of “ducking” him, which sparked a heated exchange between the two on social media.

In a fresh development, an old clip of Ilia Topuria from October last year has gone viral on X, showing him taking another shot at Islam Makhachev during a public appearance in Georgia. He said that “if Islam loses (his fight against JDM at UFC 322) he goes back to Dagestan to farm…,” taking a dig at Makhachev’s well-known rural background. As a result, the viral clip has now drawn attention from Makhachev’s fellow Dagestani and undefeated featherweight Movsar Evloev, who stepped in to respond.

Islam Makhachev’s countryman fires back at Ilia Topuria

Recently, the MMA page Championship Rounds shared Evloev’s comment on X, where he fired back at Topuria.

“If your father had to choose one of you as his son you or Islam – he wouldn’t choose you,” said Movsar Evloev to Ilia Topuria. “You’re only supported by your own people not for your qualities, but out of blind patriotism. And everyone else backing you? Clowns just like you.”

In his response, the Dagestani star took a sharp jab at Ilia Topuria’s massive fan base, particularly in Spain and Georgia. Notably, ‘El Matador’ became a two-division champion last year and gained significant recognition in Spain, with the city of Toledo honoring him by naming a street after him, “Paseo Ilia Topuria.” Right now, he stands among the biggest MMA stars representing Spain on the global stage, while Georgian authorities have also honored his achievements.

However, at UFC 322, Islam Makhachev answered the noise inside the cage and dethroned Jack Della Maddalena after a grueling five-round battle at MSG for the 170lbs belt. Since then, Topuria has continued to push for a fight against Makhachev at the UFC White House event, also billed as Freedom 250, scheduled for June 15 and widely viewed as one of the most high-profile events in American sports history. For now, though, Topuria is set to face Justin Gaethje instead.

Even so, Ilia Topuria remains focused on securing a fight against Makhachev. As a result, Movsar Evloev’s reaction has once again fueled tension between him and Topuria. At one point, ‘El Matador’ and Evloev came close to facing each other when Topuria held the featherweight title. During that time, Evloev actively called for the fight; however, Topuria brushed him aside and pointed to his lack of finishes in the UFC.

The Georgian-Spanish fighter even went a step further and told Movsar Evloev to fight his father if he wanted a “finish.” Later in 2024, Topuria knocked out Max Holloway in his first title defense and then moved up to the lightweight division in pursuit of becoming a two-division champion. In contrast, injuries slowed Evloev’s standing in the division.

Still, this past weekend, Movsar Evloev returned after a year of inactivity and defeated Lerone Murphy in a five-round featherweight title eliminator. Consequently, the result sparked debate online, with many fans calling it a “robbery” on social media.

Despite their paths heading in different directions, the tension between Ilia Topuria and Movsar Evloev remains intact. In fact, the Russian made it clear last year that he has no intention of backing off from pursuing Topuria anytime soon.

Movsar Evloev vows to chase Topuria even if he moves up to 185

Last year, the featherweight and lightweight divisions saw a ripple effect that reshaped multiple title pictures. On one side, Ilia Topuria moved up to 155 and challenged then-champion Islam Makhachev, aiming to become a two-division champion, a goal he has pursued since his UFC debut. However, Makhachev also chased his own ambition to become a two-division champion and surpass his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov. At the same time, Makhachev moved up to 170 and faced then-champion Jack Della Maddalena, which derailed plans for a potential champion vs champion clash.

As a result, the situation also disrupted Movsar Evloev’s plans, as he had targeted a fight against another undefeated contender like himself. During that period of uncertainty, the Dagestani made it clear that he would continue to pursue ‘El Matador’, even if it meant following him up to the middleweight division.

“Even if the champion (Ilia Topuria) moves up, he will leave the title. I will get the title and then I will follow him,” Evloev said. “Lightweight is not too far for me. Even if he moves up, I will take the belt first because this is my first goal. So then I will go after him, even if he goes to middleweight. It doesn’t matter. He’s not a big guy.”

Evloev’s ambition stands out; however, he has yet to capture the featherweight title. Moreover, his potential title shot against Alexander Volkanovski remains uncertain after last week’s win at UFC London. So, do you think he can beat Topuria if their paths cross? Share your thoughts below.