Islam Makhachev still believes Ilia Topuria has what it takes to become a UFC champion again.
Speaking to Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson in a recent interview, Makhachev discussed Topuria’s future following his defeat to Justin Gaethje and suggested that the former featherweight and lightweight champion has plenty of time to rebuild his career.
“He’s still young, bro, he has time. I hope he will come back. Ilia’s a good fighter, bro. If he focuses, maybe he’ll be champion again.”
Topuria suffered a major setback against Gaethje, but Makhachev believes the loss could ultimately have a significant impact on the Georgian-Spaniard’s career, although he is unsure whether that impact will be positive or negative.
“But this [Gaethje] fight changed his life. But we don’t know which way.”
‘El Matador’ entered 2026 as one of the UFC’s biggest stars after establishing himself as one of the most dangerous finishers. However, his loss to ‘The Highlight’ represented a major turning point and raised questions about what comes next for the former champion.
Makhachev, meanwhile, knows what it takes to recover from setbacks and remain at the top of the UFC. His comments suggest that he has not written Topuria off despite the latest defeat.
At just 29 years old, Topuria still has plenty of time to rebuild and potentially make another run at UFC gold. Whether he can regain the championship, however, will depend on how he responds to the biggest setback of his career.
Ilia Topuria’s Manager Wants a Rematch With Justin Gaethje
Ilia Topuria’s manager has previously indicated that the former two-division champion wants another opportunity against Justin Gaethje after their first meeting.
Topuria suffered non-displaced fractures to both orbital bones in his loss to Gaethje at the White House card, with reports indicating that he did not require surgery. The former champion is now focused on recovering from those injuries, with a potential return expected later this year.
If Ilia Topuria is cleared around November as expected, a rematch with Gaethje could become one of the options for his comeback. For now, however, he will have to watch from the sidelines as Makhachev prepares for the biggest fight of his welterweight reign.
Islam Makhachev is scheduled to defend his UFC welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry in the main event of UFC 330 this Saturday, August 15, in Philadelphia.
And if both former champions can get the results they want, the possibility of Makhachev and Topuria finally sharing the Octagon could become even more intriguing. A win for Makhachev would keep him firmly at the top of the UFC’s pound-for-pound hierarchy, while a successful comeback for Topuria could put him back on the championship track.
That could once again reignite talk of a potential Makhachev vs. superfight, a matchup that has long intrigued UFC fans.
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