Islam Makhachev isn’t dodging Ilia Topuria. He’s redefining the terms of their rivalry. And in doing so, he recently delivered a blunt reality check that doesn’t just affect a potential superfight, but also adds Arman Tsarukyan’s name back into the conversation!

Speaking in an interview on MatchTV, shared by Championship Rounds on X, Makhachev made it clear where he stands. “I’m open to it. No problem,” he said. But then came the boundary. He isn’t going back down to lightweight.

Makhachev continued. “I had the belt at lightweight. No one beat me there. I just left the belt and moved up. [Move down] For what? For a belt? That’s not interesting to me. If he wants to move up, then welcome.” That framing matters.

The Dagestani juggernaut has already cleaned out 155 pounds, losing just once in his entire career and finishing his lightweight run as champion and with the longest divisional win streak. From his perspective, going back makes no competitive sense. And if Topuria wants the fight, the path is clear: move up to welterweight to challenge him.

According to him, “Well, he can, because he has nothing to lose by moving up. If he loses, he goes back down to lightweight, and that’s it. He’ll defend his belt there.”

For Topuria, a loss at welterweight is survivable. He returns to 155, still champion, still young, and still marketable. For Makhachev, taking a fight against a smaller champion who hasn’t proven himself at lightweight yet doesn’t advance anything, and that’s where Arman Tsarukyan enters the picture.

Islam Makhachev shared, “And for him…I’ll repeat, he doesn’t lose anything by moving up. For me, it wouldn’t make sense to call out someone from a lower weight who just became champion. He hasn’t proven anything in lightweight yet. He’s got a lot of work to do there. Arman Tsarukyan is calling him out every day, asking to fight.”

Arman Tsarukyan pushed Makhachev harder than almost anyone early in his UFC run, and he’s now positioned as the most credible threat at 155. From the welterweight champion’s perspective, if Ilia Topuria wants validation as a lightweight champion, it doesn’t come from chasing him; it comes from surviving contenders like Tsarukyan.

But, with ‘El Matador’ currently on hiatus due to issues in his personal life, will he even be the same fighter when he returns? According to Matt Brown, he should take his time just to avoid making the same mistakes he did!

Matt Brown warns Ilia Topuria about returning “too soon” to the Octagon

Away from the bright lights since his brutal knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 last June, the lightweight champion has chosen silence over spectacle as he navigates what he’s described as “a difficult moment” in his personal life. That decision has kept his belt intact but also paused his momentum. And here’s the uncomfortable question: when Ilia Topuria does come back, will the edge still be there?

Former UFC fighter and longtime analyst Matt Brown doesn’t think this is a situation to gamble with. Speaking to MMA Fighting, Brown offered blunt advice rooted in experience rather than hype. In his view, “The bolder prediction is that he loses … he comes back too soon, still dealing with all this bull-s— and ends up losing because he’s not in the right headspace.”

Brown understands the itch to return. Fighters, he noted, “don’t like sitting on the sidelines.” But he also stressed how personal turmoil can quietly sabotage preparation. “He’s dealing with some pretty heavy s—… it can weigh heavy on you,” Brown said, listing divorces, custody battles, and family crises as common but dangerous burdens.

“When you go in there, and you’re going against hungry, young lions, you better have your head on straight.” Brown wasn’t theorizing; he was reflecting. His own divorce stretched over two years, and the aftermath lingered well beyond paperwork.

So where does that leave everything? Islam Makhachev has drawn his line. Tsarukyan is knocking louder by the day. And Ilia Topuria’s next move may define not just his reign, but how seriously it’s remembered. At the same time, Matt Brown’s warning adds another layer. Titles don’t defend themselves, and headspace matters as much as skill.