“I’m tired of giving chances to small guys,” an adamant Islam Makhachev stated regarding a potential title defense against Ilia Topuria. Having given Alexander Volkanovski two chances at his title already, he believes ‘La Leyenda’ needs to make his mark before fighting for the belt in the lightweight division. But Topuria didn’t hold back on responding to Makhachev, claiming that he will “sit” without taking any fights against other top 155ers and compel the Dagestan native to compete against him. It seems like things are looking favorable for the Georgian-Spanish star.

In the wake of no updates regarding Ilia Topuria’s future in the lightweight division, there were doubts that maybe the former featherweight champion made a huge mistake by vacating his title with the hope of fighting for a second belt. Islam Makhachev’s rejection, coupled with his mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, allegedly blocking the fight, made it even more uncertain as to what we can expect next. But it seems a title fight is what he’s going to get.

Just recently, there were reports that maybe Dricus du Plessis will fight Khamzat Chimaev during the International Fight Week, which is UFC 317. However, rumors about the middleweight champion suffering an injury are running wild, and now, it seems like Dana White is planning for a different title fight to headline the June 29 PPV. According to famous MMA journalist Alvaro Colmenero, Ilia Topuria will fight for the title at UFC 317, and it’s going to be for Islam Makhachev’s undisputed lightweight title.

“Ilia Topuria will be fighting at International Fight Week, for a title I am told,” tweeted the famed reporter first when Ilia Topuria claimed to have started his training camp. “Update: there will be no interim lightweight belt. It will be undisputed or vacant. There are no other options,” Colmenero wrote in a subsequent tweet, confirming that the lightweight title will be on the line at International Fight Week.

Meanwhile, Islam Makhachev has found an unlikely supporter in terms of not wanting to defend the title against Ilia Topuria. While claiming to have understood the champ’s point of view, the supporter in question added his take on the Dagestan native’s hesitance as well. Here’s what Tsarukyan had to say.

Arman Tsarukyan backs Islam Makhachev on not wanting to fight Ilia Topuria

Arman Tsarukyan‘s reasoning for Islam Makhachev’s reluctance to fight Ilia Topuria was no different from what the champion has said already. There’s nothing to gain from fighting a former featherweight champion. Also, he believes that Makhachev is only waiting for the chance to make a move up in weight class and go for the welterweight title after he’s done with all the top contenders in the lightweight division, since Tsarukyan is the only top 5 fighter he’s yet to defend his title against.

“I think he [Topuria] left 145 because they said, ‘OK, we’re going to give you title fight,” Arman Tsarukyan recently stated on the ‘JAXXON Podcast’. “Islam doesn’t want to fight him because if he wins, people are going to say, ‘OK, you again beat a 145 fighter and he’s not No. 1 contender.’ If Islam beats me, then I think he’s done with this division. He beat everybody. Just he got to beat me, and then people can say that.”

Well, there could be more than one reason why Islam Makhachev is hesitant to take on Ilia Topuria. In his four title defenses so far, the Dagestan native was taken to the limit twice–once by Dustin Poirier, whom he finished in the fifth round, and once against 2-time featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski, who took Makhachev to the distance. But it seems like there’s no way around it as we wait for the official announcement.