Belal Muhammad, having worked extensively to earn his opportunities in the UFC, finds it puzzling why Ilia Topuria believes he should receive an immediate title shot in a new division after willingly vacating his featherweight championship.
Since announcing his intention to permanently move to the 155-pound division, Topuria has been vocal about wanting a fight against reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, even claiming the UFC had guaranteed him this chance. Makhachev has countered by pointing out the criticism he already faced for his two wins over former featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski. He argues that defeating another fighter from the 145-pound weight class wouldn`t significantly boost his legacy unless Topuria first clearly established himself as a top contender within the lightweight division.
Muhammad, who shares a close relationship with Makhachev as a friend and training partner, supports this perspective and dismisses any suggestion that the UFC lightweight champion is avoiding potential opponents.
“It’s crazy,” Muhammad stated in an interview. “People are consistently hesitant to give Team Khabib [Nurmagomedov] the credit they deserve. They are so desperate to see them lose. They simply want to criticize and direct hate towards them, no matter what happens. When he defeated [Alexander] Volkanovski, who was considered the pound-for-pound best fighter globally at that moment, in a close contest, the reaction was, ‘Oh he’s terrible… he didn’t finish him, he should have finished him, he only fought a 145er.’ Then, when he goes out and finishes him in the rematch, the response becomes, ‘Well, Volkanovski was just a ‘45er anyway.’”
He applied this reasoning to the current situation with Topuria: “So now we have Topuria, who I believe is slightly smaller than Volkanovski, moving up. If Islam dominates him, the critics will inevitably say, ‘Oh well, he’s merely a ‘45er, he can easily drop back down.’ There is genuinely nothing substantial for Islam to gain from taking that fight.”
Recent rumors suggest Topuria is targeting the UFC 317 event on June 28, which coincides with International Fight Week, for his next fight. Speculation is that he expects to challenge for a lightweight title during that event, potentially even if Makhachev isn`t the opponent.
This raises questions: could an interim title be introduced, or is it even conceivable that Makhachev might be stripped of his belt?
Muhammad finds neither of these potential outcomes favorable. He views Makhachev as the current top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, embodying a willingness to accept any and all challenges, a mindset so notable it`s immortalized in a quote at the UFC Performance Institute.
“When [Islam] said let him fight someone else, let him earn the opportunity – he wasn’t saying, ‘I refuse to fight him.’ He’s saying Topuria needs to demonstrate he deserves the shot,” Muhammad explained. “We’ve already dealt with this; people are already quick to dismiss my own accomplishments, hating on me regardless. So why should Topuria be an exception? Let him go fight and defeat someone like Charles Oliveira. Why should the fight automatically be for a title right away? You yourself vacated your championship. You made the decision to move up on your own accord because you didn`t want to continue cutting weight.”
He further elaborated, “It’s not as though you defended the featherweight belt 10 times, or even five times. When Volkanovski made the move up, he had already cleared out his division; he earned his opportunity to challenge in the weight class above. Topuria, at the time he moved, still had significant contenders at 145 pounds, including Diego Lopes, Yair Rodriguez, and the undefeated Movsar Evloev. He simply *chose* to move up on his own terms. That’s precisely why I believe he should have at least one fight at 155 pounds to genuinely earn a title shot. It should absolutely not be for an interim title or anything similar, especially considering Islam consistently defends his belt year after year.”
It`s difficult to argue against this logic, especially considering Makhachev’s dominance as champion and his record-setting four consecutive lightweight title defenses in the UFC’s 155-pound division. Additionally, Muhammad firmly believes Topuria needs to prove his capabilities within the lightweight class. Topuria’s sole previous UFC bout at 155 pounds saw him visibly hurt early by Jai Herbert, although he eventually secured a knockout victory.
Based on personal experience, Muhammad knows that Makhachev presents a formidable and relentless threat with his grappling, a fact Topuria would be wise to acknowledge. Furthermore, there is no shortage of potential contenders already well-established within the 155-pound division who are arguably more deserving of a title shot before Topuria gets to jump the line.
“He did compete at 155 before. Jai Herbert dropped him,” Muhammad recalled. “We’ve also witnessed Bryce Mitchell take him down [at 145 pounds]. If Islam gets on top of you, if he takes you down, you are simply not getting back up. If Islam lands that head kick, you are not getting back up.”
Muhammad concluded by discussing the perspective of Makhachev`s team: “From their viewpoint, it’s a question of what do they truly stand to gain from this fight? What does Islam gain beyond just the financial aspect? It’s somewhat similar to the situation where [Makhachev hasn’t] fought Justin Gaethje yet. No matter who Justin fights, he always seems like he deserves a title shot. He could potentially have just one win and still fight for the title. Paddy Pimblett is currently on a significant winning streak. Arman Tsarukyan is still a prominent contender. There are many other opponents available for him to fight at 155. Therefore, he isn’t in a position where he is desperate or compelled to fight a fighter from the ‘45 division.”
Marcus Blakely