Controversy rocks Khabib's camp as the younger Nurmagomedov is left helpless after Ilia Topuria's accusation

Islam Makhachev “is the #1 pound-for-pound king”is the opinion that Usman Nurmagomedov has never shied away from sharing. In a promotion where bloody knuckles seem to be the norm, Usman and Makhachev have formed an unlikely friendship – one in which the “Diploma” is one of the first to defend his friend. Fans were treated to an example of this recently, but it appears that Usman's defensive efforts went awry this time, exposing some old wounds. But before we get to that…

What's notable is that the bond dates back to when the current UFC lightweight champion and Khabib Nurmagomedov – Usman's cousin – were still teenagers and training under his father. In fact, Islam is essentially a family: “Islam was one of my father’s favorite students and he truly loved it as his son.” Therefore, it was only natural that Usman considered Makhachev his own brother. But love is certainly not one-sided.

Makhachev also praised the 26-year-old highly in a conversation last August. “Honestly, Usman has great potential because he grew up with us [and] He did a lot of rounds with Khabib, now he's my sparring partner – when he was young we always gave him a hard time in the cage, so this guy is ready for anything 1728187693…He can fight anyone, and I think once he gets all his work done in the Bellator PFL, he can come to the UFC and that guy can become a UFC champion.” he said.

For those inexperienced, the undisputed lightweight world champion has not suffered a defeat since his last loss to Adriano Martins in 2015. Islam Makhachev has fought against everyone and emerged victorious in all his fights. His most recent fight against Dustin Poirier was a testament to his dominance, which led to an unlikely challenge from featherweight champion Ilia Topuria.

“El Matador” is preparing to fight Max Holloway at UFC 308 on Oct. 26, but it appears the newly crowned featherweight champion is looking beyond “Blessed” to determine his legacy against the lightweight champion .

During a conversation on his Instagram account, Topuria was asked about his future plans, after which the featherweight champion assured that he would fight Alexander Volkanoski again after the fight with Max Holloway, but he was really open to fighting Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title to fight. “Why not (switch to lightweight)? I did it once, I could do it again. The truth is that of course I do (I see myself fighting Makhachov). He is a great fighter. Sometimes he talks too much, sometimes not. But we can always solve it in the Octagon, not on the street because then I have to pay his medical bills.”

Ilia Topuria may be one of the best in the featherweight division, but such vile comments have certainly drawn the ire of the entire Team Khabib. In response to the comments, bantamweight contender Usman Nurmagomedov poked fun at the featherweight champion: “When have you ever fought in the streets, European boy? ” wrote “Young Eagle” on his Instagram Stories.

Making fun of Ilia Topuria without getting a response from him seems a bit unusual in the world of UFC. Usman Nurmagomedov's comments didn't go unnoticed by the featherweight champion as he grabbed his X-grip to make a pretty harsh comment about “Young Eagle's” career. “To be honest, it’s been a long time. How are you doing with Dr–s? Are you still taking steroids?”

Back in October 2023, Usman Nurmagomedov was suspended by the California State Atheltic Commission (CSAC) and fined $50,000 after failing his post-win drug test (against Brent Primus at Bellator 300). The victory was overturned and Nurmagomedov was banned from fighting for just over six months. He was not stripped of his lightweight title considering he was taking a prescription drug and not steroids.

“Usman was prescribed medication for an illness he was suffering from. It is NOT an anabolic steroid, EPO, HGH, etc. It is not anything reinforcing,” his manager Ali Abdelaziz told ESPN in November 2023.

The banter could develop into a rivalry in the near future, but can Ilia Topuria actually secure a lightweight title shot against the heavyweights in the 155-pound division? According to Islam Makahchev, he has what it takes to fight him.

Islam Makhachev sets the path for the “El Matador” lightweight fight

Islam Makhachev has defended his title three times and now sees the entire lightweight division as an easy challenge after defeating Dustin Poirier. Ilia Topuria could be a new challenge for the champion, but there are some conditions that the lightweight champion has emphasized for “El Matador” to face him. What are these? Well, to fight him, Topuria must first destroy his entire division.

During a conversation with Marca, Makhachez said: “Ilia is good, yes. I think he has good wrestling skills in my opinion, but he always uses his boxing. And if you box well, your opponent can box well too, which is a bit dangerous. He's good, but his next opponent is Max Holloway. If he hits Max [and] if he beats Movsar Evloev [he can potentially fight for lightweight championship]… He has a big job to do in his department.”

Islam Makhachev fought Alexander Volkanovski twice in his career, but it's worth noting that the “Big One” eliminated his entire division before facing him, and the Dagestani want Topuria to follow his example. Regardless, how do you assess their possible duel? Share your thoughts in the comments below.