'What Will That Do for Me?' - Islam Makhachev 'Not Interested' in Another Double-Champ Fight

'We'll Fight if We Have To': Makhachev 'Not Interested' in Topuria 'at All'

Despite only defending his title once, Topuria has gone as far as to say he'd be the first man to submit Makhachev in a professional fight. Safe to say, 'El Matador' has his sights set on Makhachev, but the feeling might not be mutual.

"We'll fight if we have to," Makhachev told MatchTV. "In terms of my fighting career, I'm not interested in fighting Topuria at all. He's in a different weight class. I'll beat him, and what will that do for me?

"I won't win another belt. Everyone will once again say that I beat a featherweight. That's it."

Makhachev is en route to breaking the record for lightweight title defenses. He is currently tied with Khabib Nurmagomedov at three. The key points of contention with his reign are his fights with then-featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and their eligibility as true lightweight tests.

He'll have the opportunity not only to make lightweight history, but legitimize his place at the top in his next fight, which is rumored to be a rematch with Arman Tsarukyan in the new year.