Ilia Topuria’s comeback announcement came with a direct shot at Ali Abdelaziz, but the veteran manager didn’t take the bait.
After confirming he’d cleared his final medical tests and was officially back, Topuria followed up with a blunt second post on X:
“By the way Justin, fu*k you. And Ali, f*ck you too.”
Ali Abdelaziz’s Response to Ilia Topuria
Rather than escalate, Ali Abdelaziz kept his reply notably restrained, and even affectionate.
“Welcome back Champ, I’m glad you are ok. I’m not gonna give you the F word back because your son is my friend and I cannot say bad words to his father, tell him I said what’s up he is the man 🌹,” Abdelaziz wrote.
The Background Between Ilia Topuria and Ali Abdelaziz
The friction between the two goes back years. Al Abdelaziz, who manages Islam Makhachev and Justin Gaethje among others through Dominance MMA, has repeatedly clashed with Ilia Topuria and his camp. Topuria has previously accused Abdelaziz of lying about the circumstances surrounding his failed fight with Makhachev, calling him and his team “liars” whose job is to clean up messes their clients leave behind. Abdelaziz, for his part, publicly predicted Justin Gaethje would beat Topuria before their White House bout, a prediction that ultimately proved correct.
More recently, Abdelaziz has claimed Usman Nurmagomedov would stop Topuria within four rounds, comments that drew a furious response from Topuria’s manager Malki Kawa and plenty of backlash from fans.
What’s Next for Ilia Topuria
Ilia Topuria’s return follows a 180-day medical suspension stemming from the fractures to both orbital bones and a broken nose he suffered against Gaethje. His physical trainer has indicated he’ll be ready to fight from February 2027. Judging by the tone of his posts, the grudges he carried into that layoff haven’t softened, even if Abdelaziz responded with a rose emoji instead of a return insult.
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