Makhachev Retorts to Topuria: 'We Both Know Who Chickened Out'

The escalating war of words between UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and featherweight titleholder Ilia Topuria shows no signs of cooling down, with both fighters engaging in a heated exchange over a potential showdown.

Topuria, who is set to headline a major UFC event against interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, has expressed a strong desire to face Makhachev instead. He recently accused Makhachev of consistently making excuses and deliberately avoiding a matchup at the upcoming 'White House' event.

"Once again Islam comes up with an excuse. This time it’s an injury,” Topuria shared on X. "I always knew I would be part of the White House event. Even when the UFC told me at one point that they wouldn’t count on me for the event, I knew it was part of the negotiation. When they finally told me I would be on the White House card, they mentioned Islam and I didn’t hesitate for a second to accept the fight. Even though the fight hadn’t been officially confirmed yet, the White House card was going to be announced the next day. And when I woke, I found out that Islam had gotten injured. And then Justin Gaethje appeared. Once again, someone else who will pay for Islam’s escape."

In a swift and sharp reply, Makhachev fired back at 'El Matador,' directly accusing him of cowardice. "We both know who chickened out here," Makhachev wrote on X. "You can cover your cowardice with nasty tweets, but don’t worry, one day you will get what you asked for! and your fat ass manager don’t have to ask for billions to fight me, we’ll do it for free."

A potential clash between these two dominant champions, both ranked among the UFC’s pound-for-pound elite, would undoubtedly be one of the biggest fights in the sport, pitting two top contenders against each other during their athletic primes.