Ilia Topuria was the special guest on the latest episode of Joe Rogan’s podcast and during their two-and-a-half-hour conversation he made it clear that he’s determined to fight Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title next.
“I would like to fight with Islam, that is for sure,” Topuria said. “I wouldn’t fight for a no. 1 contender fight. If Islam decides he doesn’t want to fight me, I’ll sit until you’re gonna have to fight me.”
The former featherweight champion, who recently vacated the belt in order to pursue his ambition to win the lightweight title, went on to accuse Makhachev of purposefully trying to duck out of fighting him.
“You say you are a world champion, keep dominating the division, (and) all that. I’m here. You can’t keep avoiding me all the time.”
Makhachev’s camp have been talking up a potential title defense against Justin Gaethje next, but Topuria has an alternative suggestion for him.
“I would put Justin Gaethje against Paddy Pimblett, me against Islam,” Topuria told Rogan. “Once I pass him, I get the title and you put me against Paddy.”
When asked by Rogan to clarify that, Topuria told him that he thinks Pimblett would beat Gaethje, “easy.”
With that being said, Topuria wasn’t overly impressed by Pimblett’s win over Michael Chandler at UFC 314 on Saturday night, though that was more down to him questioning the level of his opponent.
“He did a great job,” Topuria said of Pimblett. “He did what he had to do, but for me… I’m going to be completely honest with you, for me, Chandler, he never was an extraordinary fighter. He was like an average level fighter. Who did he beat in the UFC?
“So he beat Dan Hooker and Tony Ferguson when he was almost 40 years old.”
Gaethje was one of four potential match-ups the now No.8 ranked Pimblett called out after his win last weekend, though it seemed like former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira was his preferred option.
“Anyone in the top four, top five, I want that world title,” Pimblett had told Joe Rogan in the Octagon. “Laugh all you want and say I’ll never be champ, just like you said I’ll never get ranked, I’ll never be in the Top 10. Well what now, you gang of mushrooms. I want Dustin (Poirier), Justin (Gaethje), Charles (Oliveira) or the little posh boy Arman (Tsarukyan), any of them four.”
“I respect Dustin, Justin, and Charles. Charles is the biggest legend out of them all and he gets called the best submission artist the UFC has ever seen. Well I dispute that — I’m here! So me versus Charles. F—k Arman, he’s a little helmet. F—k that sausage.”
