"He Has to Earn His Shot at Lightweight": Javier Mendez on Ilia Topuria

Ilia Topuria has been talking, and talking loud. Fresh off his featherweight title win, he’s already got his eyes locked on another prize—Islam Makhachev’s lightweight belt. But while the fans are eating up the idea of Topuria shaking up 155, Makhachev’s coach, Javier Mendez, isn’t buying the hype just yet.
Simply put? He thinks Topuria has some proving to do.

Ilia Topuria has made it clear he doesn’t just want to be great—he wants to be legendary. The man walked into featherweight, took out Alexander Volkanovski in brutal fashion, and now he’s already looking to move up and take over lightweight. But here’s the thing: moving up a division is a different beast. And Mendez is making it clear that Topuria shouldn’t expect to waltz right into a title fight without going through some serious competition first.

“The guy is a great fighter, he’s got the best boxing hands in the business, I feel,” Mendez admitted. “But I’m not interested in that fight whatsoever at the present time.”
That’s not a knock on Topuria’s skill—it’s just the reality of how these things work. Makhachev is the king of 155, and Mendez sees no reason why he should entertain a challenge from a guy who hasn’t even fought in the division yet.
Look, Topuria is a problem at featherweight—no one’s denying that. But lightweight is a whole different world. It’s not just about striking; it’s about dealing with bigger, stronger fighters who can take your best shots and keep coming forward.
Mendez pointed to Charles Oliveira as a real test for Topuria. “He needs to fight somebody in the lightweight division, like a Charles Oliveira,” he said. “Charles is not an easy fight for anybody, and I slightly favor Ilia because of his power and his boxing precision.”
The message is pretty clear—if Topuria wants a shot at Makhachev, he needs to prove he belongs in the division first.
Of course, all of this could be thrown out the window if the UFC decides they want the fight. Topuria is a star, and a showdown with Makhachev would be massive. If the fans want it and Dana White sees dollar signs, don’t be surprised if Topuria jumps the line.
But for now? Makhachev’s team isn’t handing out free title shots. If Topuria wants to make history, he’s going to have to earn it.
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