Khabib Nurmagomedov supports Ilia Topuria challenging for the lightweight title if he proves himself by defeating top contenders like Dustin Poirier or Charles Oliveira, rather than jumping ahead without competing at 155 pounds.
Khabib Nurmagomedov is cool with Ilia Topuria going for the lightweight title. But there’s a catch—he’s gotta earn it first.
Topuria, who’s currently the UFC featherweight champ, hinted at moving up to 155 pounds. However, he’s still on the fence about making that leap.
On the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Khabib chatted with Henry Cejudo. They discussed Topuria potentially challenging Islam Makhachev, Khabib’s buddy, for the lightweight belt someday.
“If he moves up and beats someone like Dustin Poirier or Charles Oliveira, then sure, why not?” Khabib mused. “Because there’s nobody else.”
Makhachev’s been on a roll since snagging the lightweight title from Oliveira at UFC 280 in October 2022. He’s defended it three times and is on a 14-fight win streak. His latest triumph was submitting Dustin Poirier and he’s also defeated Alexander Volkanovski twice in championship bouts.
Next on Makhachev’s agenda? A rematch with Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311 in Los Angeles on Jan. 18. If he gets past Tsarukyan again, fresh contenders are scarce, making a superfight with Topuria intriguing.
Topuria seems game for a No. 1 contender bout with Oliveira. He’s aligning with Khabib’s thoughts but doesn’t want to skip the line unfairly.
“Without fighting at 155, no way,” Khabib stated firmly. “Islam already gave a chance to a featherweight champ. People criticized his two fights with Volkanovski, but UFC pushed for them. The first fight was good, but why should Islam give a third chance to a 145-pound champ? It’s unfair for the 155-pound division.”
“But if Topuria moves up and beats someone like Oliveira? Absolutely,” Khabib added. “And you know what? I think he can do it.”