Ilia Topuria calls out Makhachev and Della Maddalena, eyes blockbuster champ-vs-champ showdown. Lightweight champion Ilia Topuria didn’t mince words in the aftermath of UFC 322. In the wake of Islam Makhachev’s dominant win over Jack Della Maddalena to capture the welterweight title, Topuria called both men out calling Della a disappointment of a champion and labeling Makhachev’s performance super boring.
Topuria, who himself recently rose to the top by knocking out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 in June. Topuria vacated the featherweight title in hopes to fight Makhachev for the 155-pound belt, but Makhachev had the same idea of making his own history. Topuria said he was left disappointed not just by the main event’s result, but more so by its lack of excitement.
In an interview with journalist Alvaro Colmenero, Topuria expanded on his frustration, admitting he was more let down by Della’s performance than Makhachev’s, saying that Della showed zero resistance, and looked completely unwilling to even be in the fight. Topuria contrasted that with his own style: he said he fights to entertain, to give fans a show worthy of their time and money. That, he implied, sets him apart.
“Honestly, I was very disappointed in his performance,” Topuria told Alvaro Colmenero. “But more than his performance, the one that disappointed more was the performance of the former champion Jack Della Maddalena. Honestly, I saw him putting up zero resistance. He seemed completely unwilling to even be in the fight. ”In the end, Islam did his job — what he always does, fight super boring. He doesn’t care about the audience, which isn’t how I see or project myself in this sport because I always strive to entertain everyone, so that when people invest their time and resources to see me they are very happy with their investment.”
Despite both Topuria and Makhachev having plenty of contenders lined up for title shots, Topuria is still pushing for a champion-vs-champion showdown. If that fight ever materializes, it likely won’t happen until at least April, as Topuria recently revealed that he’s taking a short break from fighting to focus on personal matters. Meanwhile, the UFC shook things up on Thursday by announcing Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett for the interim lightweight championship, set to headline UFC 324 on January 24. The winner of that clash is expected to challenge Topuria later in 2026. Even before that announcement, Topuria remained hopeful that the UFC could make a fight with Makhachev a reality.
”Hopefully [me vs. Islam] happens,” Topuria said. “I think it would be a high-level fight that people would really enjoy. They would see a very desperate Islam trying to get a dominant position and catch his breath, and they would see me with a lot of spark to put him to sleep — which in the end, I would achieve.”
As the dust settles around the chaos of UFC matchmaking, one thing remains certain that Ilia Topuria isn’t afraid to rattle cages or call out champions even if they sit atop another division. His criticism of Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev may spark debate, but it also reinforces his growing star power and unshakeable confidence.
With an interim lightweight title fight now set and Topuria stepping away briefly for personal reasons, the road to a potential champ-vs-champ showdown is filled with twists. Yet in classic Topuria fashion, he’s keeping the pressure on. Whether he faces the Gaethje–Pimblett winner or finally meets Makhachev in the blockbuster fight he craves, 2026 is shaping up to be a defining year for “El Matador.”
