Ilia Topuria Vows to Submit Makhachev with His Own Move
Ilia Topuria, the undefeated UFC Featherweight Champion, isn’t backing down from the challenge of a rumored super-fight with Islam Makhachev. In fact, he’s already plotting how he’ll submit the reigning lightweight king—and it’s with Makhachev’s own signature move.
A Confident Climb to Lightweight
Topuria, 16-0 and fresh off wins over Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski, has made it clear: he wants to fight the best. With talks heating up around a potential showdown with Makhachev later this year, possibly at UFC 314, the Spanish-Georgian fighter is eyeing a jump to lightweight—and legacy.
But he’s not just chasing gold. He wants to beat the best at their own game, even if that means grappling with the most dominant ground fighter in MMA today.
The Callout: “I Submit Him with the D’Arce”
On the PBD Podcast, Topuria doubled down on his belief that he’ll not only defeat Makhachev but do so via submission—specifically with a D’Arce choke, the same technique Makhachev used to tap both Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano in recent title defenses.
“I truly believe that I submit him with the D’Arce,” Topuria said. “Like, which one is your favorite? D’Arce? This part I’m not joking.”
He even entertained the idea of using a guillotine, another one of Makhachev’s favored setups.
“If he says that, I go for that. No problem. It’s gonna be even more entertaining for me.”
Grappling Cred Underrated?
Topuria is known for his striking, but he reminds critics that his Greco-Roman wrestling background and submission skills are often overlooked. He’s already submitted elite grapplers like Bryce Mitchell, and he plans to prove he can out-grapple the grappler on the sport’s biggest stage.
Makhachev’s Ground Game: No Easy Task
With Khabib Nurmagomedov still in his corner and nearly half of his 27 wins coming via submission, Makhachev remains one of the most dominant fighters in MMA history. He’s shown little weakness on the ground—but Topuria sees opportunity where others see risk.
More…
- https://athlonsports.com/mma/ufc-islam-makhachev-belal-muhammad-jack-della-maddalena-ilia-topuria-ufc-315
- https://www.mmafighting.com/2025/4/11/24406309/ilia-topuria-vows-to-submit-islam-makhachev-in-front-of-khabib-nurmagomedov
- https://bloodyelbow.com/2025/04/11/ilia-topuria-sends-islam-makhachev-chilling-threat-ahead-of-rumored-super-fight/
