Ilia Topuria addresses claims of Islam Makhachev allegedly ducking him, dismisses comparisons to Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall saga

Ilia Topuria recently shut down the speculations suggesting that Islam Makhachev avoided a fight against him. On top of that, Topuria also brushed off comparisons between their situation and that of Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall.

Topuria wanted to face Makhachev to compete for the UFC lightweight title. However, the Dagestani was opposed to this idea, stating that 'El Matador' needs to prove himself in the division before challenging him.

Similarly, Aspinall sought a title unification bout with Jones. However, 'Bones' was against it, believing that fighting Aspinall would not significantly impact his UFC career.

During an interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, 'El Matador' was asked if he saw any similarities between the two situations. In response, Topuria said:

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"Not at all. No, you can't even compare that situation. You can't compare Jon Jones with Islam [Makhachev]... I think he's doing his things. I don't think he's ducking me, to be honest. I would be lying if I tell you that he's ducking me."

He added:

"I think [Makhachev's] tired of the weight cut. He wants a new challenge. He moved to the welterweight division. He feels and he thinks that he has a chance to become a double champion, and I think that this is all he's trying to do."

Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below (1:19):

After Makhachev's move to the welterweight division, Topuria will now compete for the vacant lightweight championship against Charles Oliveira at UFC 317.

Meanwhile, Jones has officially announced his retirement from the sport, and Aspinall has been crowned the new UFC heavyweight champion.

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Ilia Topuria reveals reason behind chasing Islam Makhachev fight

Ilia Topuria has an unbeaten record, and in his recent matches, he has defeated Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway. Topuria stated that his motivation for pursuing a fight with Islam Makhachev is to compete against the best fighter.

In a recent interview with ESPN Deportes, 'El Matador' expressed this sentiment, saying:

"Why did I want to fight Islam? For one simple fact, and it's the same with Volkanovski. If you beat someone and take the title from them at 145, it had to be Volk. It had to be Volk for me at that point because he has the most history in the division. He was the one who dominated everyone. He was the greatest. It's the same for Islam. I wanted to fight [Islam] simply because he had dominated everyone."

Check out Ilia Topuria's comments on Islam Makhachev below (via ChampRDS on X):

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Edited by Nilaav Gogoi