Ilia Topuria showed high confidence when discussing a possible duel against Islam Makhachev . Even without the fight being confirmed, the undisputed lightweight champion (up to 70,3 kg) made it clear what his plan would be to surprise the world. The Georgian-Spanish fighter intends to defeat the Russian in a way that few imagine, betting on a submission to make even more history in the UFC.
In an interview with 'The Ariel Helwani Show', Topuria explained that he always looks for something impactful in big fights and sees Makhachev's dominant style as an opportunity to cause an upset. For the Georgian-Spanish fighter, overcoming a grappling specialist on his own turf would be the ideal way to further solidify his name among the best in the sport.
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“When I have the opportunity to fight someone, I always think about what I can do to really shock the world. So, with Islam, I think: to shock the world, I need to finish him. That’s what I believe will happen. I’m going to take him down and I’m going to finish him… Everyone is good, but I’m different,” stated Ilia Topuria.
Ilia Topuria is confident a submission over Islam Makhachev is inevitable:
“When I get the opportunity to fight someone, I always think about what I can do to really shock the world.
So with Islam, I'm like, to shock the world, I have to submit him. That's what I think is going… pic.twitter.com/NBftdo3igx
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 20, 2026
Ilia Topuria refutes Makhachev's version of events regarding the UFC's behind-the-scenes events at the White House.
The topic came up in the same chat where the fighter discussed the behind-the-scenes of UFC Casa Branca , scheduled for June 14th in Washington DC (USA). Set to face Justin Gaethje in the main event, Topuria revealed that he initially had the option of facing Makhachev, a fight considered by him and his team to be the most important at that time.
The champion's version, however, contrasts with Makhachev's, who recently stated on social media that the fight didn't happen due to financial demands from the Georgian-Spanish fighter, an allegation that had already been denied by Dana White. Given this scenario, Topuria preferred not to go into details about the behind-the-scenes events, but reiterated that his initial choice was always to face the Russian.
“Look, I don’t know the real story. What I do know is that, from the first call I received, I had two options: Islam and Justin Gaethje . We said we wanted Islam because it’s a bigger fight,” the lightweight champion explained on 'The Ariel Helwani Show'.
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