Khabib Nurmagomedov would like to see UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria earn his title shot at lightweight if he moves up to the division.
Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) teased a move up to 155 pounds and called for a fight with Charles Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC). If he can get past a former champion like that, then Nurmagomedov wouldn’t mind his protoge, current UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, giving him a shot.
“I think if he moves up and he beats somebody like Dustin Poirier or Charles Oliveira then he’s next in line. Why not? Because there is nobody,” Nurmagomedov said on the “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman.
However, Nurmagomedov is against Topuria getting an immediate title shot. He already witnessed Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) get criticized for making his first two title defenses against former featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski.
“Without fighting at 155? No, I don’t agree,” Nurmagomedov said of a Topuria title shot. “Because Islam already gave a chance. People talk bad about like, ‘Oh, he fought two times against Volkanovski,’ but the UFC pushed that fight, and the first fight was good.
“But why does Islam have to give three times chance for the 145-pound champion? Why? It’s not fair for 155 pounds, but if he (Topuria) moves up and beats somebody like Charles Oliveira, then of course. You know what I think? I think he can beat him.”
Makhachev’s next title defense comes in a rematch against Arman Tsarukyan, which headlines UFC 311 (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) on Jan. 18 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.
