Daniel Cormier is responding to claims that top lightweight fighters are afraid of Ilia Topuria.
Topuria, who is moving up to the lightweight division after vacating his UFC featherweight title, has expressed interest in facing Islam Makhachev or Charles Oliveira for a title shot or No. 1 contender bout. However, he believes both fighters are avoiding him.
UFC Hall of Famer and commentator Cormier disagrees with this notion. While he acknowledges Topuria’s skills, he doesn’t believe fear is a factor in the fighters’ decision-making.
“The focus right now is on Ilia Topuria,” Cormier stated on his YouTube channel. “Ilia wants a title fight against Islam Makhachev or Charles Oliveira. I know for a fact that Islam Makhachev is not afraid of him.”
“As someone who knows Islam well, I can say he’s not afraid. Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, and Michael Chandler are not afraid either. Fear is not a factor for fighters when it comes to facing each other.”
Cormier understands Makhachev’s hesitation in facing Topuria, given the criticism he has received for his previous opponents. However, he believes a fight between Makhachev and Topuria would be lucrative for the UFC and should be considered.
“Islam may not want to fight someone from a lower weight class, and Charles is aiming for a title shot. Many fighters have their own paths, which is why they may not want to face Ilia. But ultimately, fighting Ilia would be the biggest fight in the division right now.”
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