Islam Makhachev compares Ilia Topuria and Conor McGregor.

Clement Leong

30 Dec 2025 — 3 min read

Mixed Martial Arts

🚨 UFC Welterweight champion Islam Makhachev says he was offered a fight in January 2026 which would be UFC 324, but he passed on it.

“I was offered a fight in January, they didn’t tell me the name but honestly I think it was [Michael] Morales.”

🚨 Islam Makhachev responds to UFC Lightweight champion Ilia Topuria’s comments that he’d love to submit him [Makhachev] and if Khabib Nurmagomedov wanted to step in after, he’d gladly step on his head too.

“I don’t know, we can feel it. He has some kind of hatred towards us but I think we’ll sort it out. Either before the fight somehow or maybe in the future. Now he’s on some kind of break, maybe in the future we’ll settle it in the cage. He’s unhappy about something.”

🚨 Islam Makhachev says Ilia Topuria has more pure offensive punching power than Conor McGregor but McGregor was a better counter puncher the way he’d set things up and set up the left hand whilst making them miss; it was another level.

🚨 Islam Makhachev says fighters keep trying to copy Conor McGregor but no one comes close.

🚨 Islam Makhachev says Shavkat Rakhmonov doesn’t deserve a title shot when he comes back as he hasn’t fought in over a year; needs to win a fight first to earn it.

🚨 Islam Makhachev says a trilogy bout between Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili will be even easier for Yan as he knows what to expect and knows how to stop the wrestling and impose his own wrestling. Show up in the same shape and same mindset.

🚨 UFC Heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is going to have surgery on his eye in 2026. He’s already had surgery on one side already.

🚨 Daniel Cormier says UFC fighter pay with the new Paramount+ deal, everyone will be getting paid more across the board from prelim fighters to the final fight. Also says some are making more money now than with the PPV model after restructuring their deal since PPV is gone, and the money is guaranteed.

🚨 Israel Adesanya doesn’t care about fighting for the belt anymore, just wants to fight and do things he did like when he was on his way to the belt; fighting more freely and trying risky stuff.

🚨 Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov says Arman Tsarukyan was not given next in line for the Interim UFC Lightweight title because the UFC’s new deal with Paramount+ & the new sponsors so the UFC wanted Western audiences, with Justin Gaethje being a big name and Paddy Pimblett having a lot of buzz around him.

Boxing

🚨 Terence Crawford says that Conor McGregor’s boxing performance against Floyd Mayweather Jr. was better than Jake Paul’s performance against Anthony Joshua.

“He did real good against Floyd. Better than I thought he would do. Landed some good shots on Floyd.”

🚨 Anthony Joshua was involved in a fatal car accident in Nigeria, claiming the lives of two of his friends, Sina and Latz. The accident occurred when a Lexus Jeep, suspected to be speeding, lost control during an overtaking manoeuvre and crashed into a stationary truck by the roadside. Five adult males were involved in the crash. The Federal Road Safety Corps is investigating the incident.