Topuria on Makhachev vs. Della Maddalena: "Islam is mentally broken, and that could affect him in welterweight."

The war is on. Ilia Topuria, who will try to win his second UFC world title, this time at lightweight, is locked in a heated battle with, of all places, the champion of that division, Islam Makhachev, who will leave to challenge for the welterweight title (a higher weight class). The Spanish-Georgian called the Russian champion and number one pound-for-pound UFC fighter a "hypocrite" because "he criticizes exactly what he's done," arguing that he wouldn't give Topuria the fight because he didn't have enough standing in the division, and that he would get a direct shot at the title.

"He's scared, that's why he ran away from the division," Topuria said at the press conference prior to WOW 19 in Alicante, where he took numerous shots at Makhachev. Makhachev responded via social media. "The difference between you and me is that I dominated my division and moved on to the next, but you walked away from two contenders who had 5-9 consecutive wins in the lightweight division. You're a nobody in the lightweight division, just a loudmouth from Spain with a good haircut. Get a win and we can talk, kiddo ," Makhachev wrote, leaving the door open for a possible future confrontation.

Thus, during the press conference in Alicante, when asked by ABC MMA about the upcoming fight between Makhachev and UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena, Topuria made his position clear. " I think Islam is at a point where he's mentally broken. I don't think it would be good for him to know deep down that he left the division out of fear , because there's no other explanation. Imagine if he had left the division with Max Holloway or some other worthy contender and everyone was shouting his name. I don't know if that will affect him mentally at welterweight. Let him do what he wants with his life," the Spanish-Georgian responded bluntly.

The reality is that a very interesting summer is ahead. On one hand, Topuria will face Charles Oliveira for the UFC lightweight title on June 28 in Las Vegas, while Makhachev hopes to secure a date to make his assault on the welterweight division. The company's superstars will be competing , and who knows, maybe in the not-too-distant future they'll end up closing their gap inside the Octagon.