Ilia Topuria calls Islam Makhachev ‘biggest hypocrite I’ve ever seen in my life,’ Makhachev responds

Ilia Topuria is taking pictures at Islam Makhachev.

Each Topuria and Makhachev had been focal factors in Dana White’s huge announcement earlier this week, revealing Makhachev is vacating the light-weight belt to problem new welterweight titleholder Jack Della Maddalena later this 12 months. Topuria faces former champ Charles Oliveira for the vacant light-weight championship in the primary occasion of UFC 317 on June 28 to cap off the UFC’s Worldwide Battle Week.

Talking with EuroSport, Topuria was requested about not combating Makhachev in his first light-weight championship alternative.

“He’s the most important hypocrite I’ve ever seen in my life,” Topuria mentioned. “He instructed me he wouldn’t give me an opportunity as a result of I used to be the smaller man, and now he’s the small one in search of the identical alternative I wished. So, it’s like he criticized a call, an motion of mine, when he’s now doing the very same factor. I’ve by no means seen such hypocrisy, however that’s how he’s being suggested, I assume.”

In a comply with up, the reporter requested Topuria a couple of remark made by Makhachev’s supervisor Ali Abdelaziz, the place Abdelaziz mentioned he ought to “thank” Makhachev for vacating the championship to maneuver as much as 170.

“El Matador” jumped proper in to reply.

“He ought to thank me for not beating his star, preserving his worth and credibility,” Topuria defined. “They snuck him out the again door. Everybody is aware of it. It was the combat everybody wished to see. I used to be prepared for it. I’d ready and put all the things on the desk, however they backed out.

“From the beginning, they by no means as soon as agreed to the combat. They all the time mentioned I didn’t deserve it, didn’t wish to give one other small man an opportunity. They by no means accepted the combat or did me any favors. They solely did themselves a favor by escaping in time to maintain some credibility and worth.”

Seeing the clip floor on social media, Makhachev responded to Topuria’s claims, and remained steadfast that he simply wished to see Topuria get one win at light-weight earlier than giving him a title shot.

“Distinction between me and also you, that I cleaned prime record in my division, moved to subsequent, however you ran away from two contenders who had consecutive 5-9 wins within the [featherweight] division,” Makhachev wrote. “You’re no one in [lightweight] division, only a huge mouth from Spain with good haircut. Go get one W, and we are able to discuss boy.”

Unsurprisingly, Topuria has already issued his personal reply on this ongoing feud.

“The distinction between you and me is that I’m a person and you’re a coward,” Topuria wrote. “I communicate and combat. You discuss and conceal. Run away far, leaving no hint.”