The chess match between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria has evolved into a full-scale diplomatic crisis, with their respective camps trading verbal artillery across social media. The lightweight division’s title landscape has become particularly charged as Team Makhachev, including the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov, has aimed Topuria’s ambitious leap to 155 pounds. ‘The Eagle’ himself recently weighed in on Topuria’s path to lightweight glory on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, offering a surprisingly balanced assessment.While questioning the Spanish-Georgian’s immediate title credentials, Khabib laid out a clear roadmap to championship contention. “If he moves up to 155 pounds and beats someone like Charles Oliveira, of course. And I think he can beat him.” Furthermore, the 155lbs champ echoed this sentiment, reinforcing that Topuria must first face a top contender like Charles Oliveira or maybe even Dustin Poirier. However, these comments did not sit well with Topuria’s camp.His manager, Pablo Fernandez, fired back with a sharp response, dismissing any doubts about the Georgian-Spaniard’s credentials. “I don’t come on here much anymore, but when certain managers claim a guy is too small, shouldn’t move up, or needs to fight someone else, let’s get the facts straight. He [Ilia] knocked out [Alexander] Volk in his first opportunity—the fight wasn’t even close. When your client fought Volk, he struggled in the first meeting, don’t forget that.”“Then, in the rematch, he [Islam] knocked him out. After that, he [Ilia] finished Max Holloway, one of the greatest 145ers of all time. I don’t see why he doesn’t deserve a shot at 155, but I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t want my client to fight Ilia Topuria either.” Fernandez made a compelling argument, emphasizing the meteoric rise of Topuria within the UFC. In less than four years, ‘El Matador’ went from competing on the preliminary card to capturing featherweight gold—a feat few can match. Not only did he claim the title, but he also successfully defended it before ultimately choosing to vacate. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Left Hook Club (@lefthookclub)But why did Team Topuria come up with such a scathing response? This is because in addition to Makhachev, his manager Rizvan Magomedov also expressed the same stance yesterday. While speaking to Red Corner MMA, he argued that Topuria should first fight a top contender. “Topuria vs. Dustin [Poirier] or Charles [Oliveira] should be a contender fight to prove he’s a legitimate lightweight. We don’t need to fight another ‘small featherweight,” Magomedov remarked.Last year, Ilia Topuria made a statement by slaying Alexander Volkanovski with a brutal three-punch combination and then defended his belt with another knockout against Max Holloway. ‘Team Khabib’ head coach Javier Mendez recently complimented Topuria’s striking prowess in a conversation with Submission Radio.The AKA head honcho stated, “….I’ve said it on many occasions. I think he [Ilia] has the best boxing in the whole UFC, all the weight divisions. I believe his boxing is the crispest out of everybody. He’s got great wrestling, his mental is strong, he’s undefeated….” On the other hand, Makhachev faced Volkanovski twice at UFC 284 and 294 respectively when ‘The Great’ was still the featherweight champion.Their first outing turned out to be Makhachev’s toughest challenge, but he ultimately secured a unanimous decision victory. In the rematch, the Dagestani native wasted no time, finishing the fight in just one round. Let’s hear what the champ has to about his first outing against the Aussie ace!Was the fight against Alexander Volkanovski the “toughest” for Islam Makhachev?Since making his UFC debut nearly a decade ago, Islam Makhachev has firmly established himself as a dominant force in the promotion, remaining undefeated since 2016. With a consistent string of victories, he has amassed an impressive 15-fight win streak and successfully defended his 155lbs title four times. Now, the stage is set for the Dagestani champion’s potential fifth title defense against Ilia Topuria in what could be his final lightweight fight before moving up to an upper division.In a sit-down with Daniel Cormier ahead of UFC 311, Makhachev was asked about his “toughest” fight, referencing his first encounter with Arman Tsarukyan at UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Olenik nearly six years ago. However, the Dagestani native brought up the name of Alexander Volkanovski, admitting that his first encounter with Volkanovski at UFC 284 was one of the toughest bouts of his career.“[Tsarukyan] was one of the hardest fights, of course, but it’s not the toughest fight because the five rounds with Volkanovski, it was crazy,” Makhachev said. “It was heart rate more than 200, it’s called, you know? But maybe I was underestimating [Tsarukyan] because he was short notice, nobody knows him, and he don’t have a name. I never watched his fight and he did well in that fight, but I like to finish the old questions.”What’s your opinion on Team Topuria’s comments about his chance for a direct shot at Islam Makhachev? Do you think it’s going too far by bringing the managers into the conflict and escalating the rivalry between the fighters’ teams? Feel free to share your thoughts below.The post “Knocked Out Volk” – Ilia Topuria’s Camp Gives Team Khabib a Cold Reminder on Demand for Islam Makhachev Title Shot appeared first on EssentiallySports.