Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images

Islam Makhachev’s manager threatens that Ilia Topuria could suffer same consequence as Dillon Danis

Originally posted on Bloody Elbow | By Jamie Theodosi | Last updated Nov 18, 2025 6:22 AM ET

Ahead of Islam Makhachev’s UFC 322 title fight on Saturday night, a huge brawl broke out in the crowd between his team and one of their longtime rivals.

This past Saturday, Islam Makhachev continued his dominance in the sport when he dethroned Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 to become the new welterweight champion.

Not long before his fight, a large portion of his team were involved in a huge brawl in the crowd, with longtime rival Dillon Danis being on the receiving end of a beating.

Subsequently, Danis was handed a lifetime ban from the UFC by the boss Dana White, who blamed himself for the incident.

And now just days removed from the event and the incident, Makhachev’s manager Ali Abdelaziz has warned Ilia Topuria could also suffer the same fate as Danis following his continuous feud with Makhachev and his team.

Makhachev’s manager sends warning to Topuria

The Russian and ‘El Matador’ have been rivals for several years now and it seemed inevitable that the two would go on to fight each other inside the Octagon.

Despite that, after Topuria moved up to lightweight, Makhachev revealed that he was moving up to welterweight, delaying their meeting.

However, the Russian’s manager, Abdelaziz has claimed that when they do clash, it may not be inside the Octagon, stating that ‘El Matador’ could suffer the same consequences that Danis did this past weekend.

“Honestly, I don’t understand (Topuria), in my opinion, just be yourself,” Abdelaziz told the Believe You Me Podcast.

“I’ve met this guy before, he’s a decent guy, but in a way we get this thing from him, you haven’t even defended your title once – Islam defended four times. Have a couple of fights and then Islam will fight him, no problem.

“Create your own legacy… I feel like he’s taking a page out of Conor (McGregor’s) book… People think they can go on the internet and talk, but one day you’re going to meet the same people you talk about. He’s in the same situation Dillon Danis was in too,” he continued.

Topuria labeled Makhachev’s UFC 322 performance ‘boring’

Of course, ‘El Matador’ was keeping a close eye on the UFC 322 main event as he is still hopeful of securing a fight against the Russian.

And despite Makhachev’s continued showcase of dominance, Topuria labeled his performance ‘boring’, continuing his rivalry with the champion.

Who is the pound-for-pound best fighter in MMA?

At this point, it is unclear whether Makhachev and Topuria will fight next, however, following his win, the 34-year-old stated that he wants to fight Kamaru Usman next.

This article first appeared on Bloody Elbow and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: