Islam Makhachev hopes Ilia Topuria’s loss at UFC Freedom 250 does not have a lasting negative impact on his life. The welterweight champion wants to see the Georgian-born Spaniard make a triumphant return to mixed martial arts.
UFC Freedom 250 produced arguably the biggest MMA upset of 2026 as 6-1 underdog Justin Gaethje was awarded a TKO victory over ‘El Matador’ after he was forced to retire on the stool following four grueling rounds due to a broken orbital.
Makhachev believes Topuria could yet become stronger. During an interview with Demetrious Johnson in the lead-up to his UFC 330 bout, the welterweight champion admitted that he hopes to see Topuria become champion again:
“Sure, he’ll be back, you know, because he’s still young, bro. He has time. And I hope he’ll come back and show good performance because Ilia is a good fighter, bro. He has good punches, good wrestling, good skills on the ground. If he focuses, maybe he’ll be champion again. But this fight changed his life. We don’t know which way.”
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Check out Islam Makhachev’s comments on Ilia Topuria below:
However, the path back to the title may not be that simple for Topuria. In interviews following the White House event, newly crowned lightweight champion Gaethje has made it clear that he does not intend to give ‘El Matador’ an immediate rematch, pointing out that he dominated the former champion and ultimately made him quit.
Meanwhile, Makhachev is set to make his maiden welterweight title defense against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 on August 15 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Islam Makhachev shares sneak peek into his UFC 330 training camp
While Islam Makhachev is crafting a game plan tailored to Ian Machado Garry, it appears that his primary focus during training camp is not his opponent, but becoming the best version of himself.
During the aforementioned interview, when Demetrious Johnson asked Makhachev about his preparations for the Garry fight, the reigning welterweight champion emphasized that getting into peak physical condition was his primary focus:
“We always focus on being in great shape. Of course, we are looking at the opponent, we are making a game plan. And I did bring a couple guys in for this training camp who are tall, who have good reach, you know. But most of the things, just come to the fight, get in great shape. This is the thing that we focus always.” [12:33 mark of the interview]
Edited by Ujwal Jain