Belal Muhammad explains why Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria shouldn’t happen now

Belal Muhammad doesn’t see how a clash with Ilia Topuria benefits Islam Makhachev.

The lightweight title picture isn’t short on contenders, but some are wondering what the next championship fight at 155 pounds will be. Topuria recently vacated the UFC Featherweight Championship to move up in weight. While Topuria challenging Makhachev for the lightweight gold figures to be a lucrative bout, the champion’s team is opposed to fighting another featherweight.

Muhammad recalls the naysayers who tried dismissing Makhachev’s two victories over Alexander Volkanovski.

RELATED: BELAL MUHAMMAD REVEALS WHETHER OR NOT HE’D FIGHT HIS FRIEND ISLAM MAKHACHEV

Muhammad Dismisses Value of Makhachev Beating Topuria

If a matchup between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria is booked, the concern for Belal Muhammad is that fans will once again attempt to discredit his teammate’s accomplishments. Muhammad told MMAFighting.com that it diminishes the significance of the fight.

“It’s crazy,” Muhammad said, speaking to MMA Fighting. “The people never want to give Team Khabib [Nurmagomedov] their respect. They want to see them lose so badly. They just want to shun them and put hate on them no matter what it is. When he beats [Alexander] Volkanovski, who was the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world at that time in a close fight it’s like, ‘Oh he sucks … he didn’t finish him, he should have finished him, he’s a 145er’ and then he goes out there and finishes him and it’s like, ‘Well Volkanovski’s a ‘45er.’

“So now Topuria, I think he’s a little bit smaller than Volkanovski, he’s going to move up and if Islam dominates him, [then it’s] ‘Oh well, he’s a ‘45er, he can go back down.’ There’s really nothing to gain for Islam for fighting him.”

Makhachev’s team has said that if Topuria can win a No. 1 contender fight at lightweight against someone like Charles Oliveira, then the showdown would make more sense. Some are skeptical of that happening, however, as Topuria just vacated a title. Topuria and Oliveira have gotten into a war of words as of late, which might be music to Makhachev’s ears.