A feud between UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria and lightweight champion Islam Makhachev seems to be brewing and Javier Mendez has weighed in on it.
Following his emphatic title defense against Max Holloway this past October, Ilia Topuria accepted that he would likely defend his title in a rematch against Alexander Volkanovski next.
However, the 27-year-old has since expressed his desire to move up to lightweight next to take on current champion, Islam Makhachev.
Javier Mendez weighs in on Ilia Topuria’s lightweight plan
First, though, Makhachev will defend his 155lb strap against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311 on January 19 in an extremely high-level rematch.
With that, ‘El Matador’ surprisingly revealed that he would like to fight Charles Oliveira whilst he waits for the culmination of Makhachev vs Tsarukyan.
Topuria’s head coach, Jorge Climent recently claimed that Topuria is done with featherweight as he walks around at as high as 180lbs and would potentially vacate his title to move up in weight. Despite that, Topuria stated that he is not vacating the belt, regardless of his lightweight plans.
The feud between Makhachev and Topuria began earlier this year when Topuria claimed he would send the Russian to the hospital if they fought each other in the streets.
Head coach of Makhachev, Javier Mendez, has weighed in on Topuria’s plan to move up to lightweight, stating that he isn’t interested in that fight.
“I think it’s great that he’s motivated, he’s a champion for sure and he’s proving it and he’s going up in weight, I also was told that his coach said that he’s 187lbs which is amazing,” Mendez said in an interview with Submission Radio.
“Islam I don’t think has ever been that heavy. Islam when he’s in camp and he starts camp two months out, Islam’s about 179lbs, 178lbs… (Topuria) being at 187lbs that means that, and I don’t think he’s fat he’s kind of a wide guy, he’s kind of like Alex (Volkanovski) in a way just stockier,” he continued.
Javier Mendez is not interested in a potential fight against Ilia Topuria
Despite it potentially being one of the biggest fights in UFC history, Mendez isn’t too keen on it for his student, Makhachev, as he believes Topuria needs to prove himself more.
“The guy is a great fighter, he’s got the best boxing hands in the business I feel, the best technical anyway so, and he can do a lot of damage if he goes up in weight but I don’t know what’s gonna happen, I’m not interested in that fight whatsoever at the present time,” Mendez stated.
Makhachev has previously expressed his own plan to move up in weight and when Leon Edwards held the welterweight title, the Russian was keen on a matchup with ‘Rocky’.
Despite that, Makhachev’s friend and recently new teammate, Belal Muhammad became the 170lb champion, halting Makhachev’s dream for now.
Although Mendez isn’t too keen on a fight against the Spanish featherweight champion, depending on Makhachev’s result against Tsarukyan, the champion will likely have options.