A lot has been said about Ilia Topuria since he finally lost his undefeated record at UFC Freedom 250 back in June. The Spaniard was stopped by Justin Gaethje on the White House grounds, with the American capturing the undisputed lightweight title in one of the biggest upsets of the year.
Gaethje’s victory was even more impressive considering he forced Topuria to quit on his stool at the end of the fourth round. It was a brutal night for the former two-division champion, who walked out of the fight with a battered face, multiple cuts, significant swelling, and two orbital fractures.
Since then, Topuria has faced plenty of criticism from fighters, fans, and trolls alike. One of those critics happened to be Gaethje’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz. The Dominance MMA Management founder recently claimed that Usman Nurmagomedov would easily beat Topuria during an appearance on the Pound 4 Pound podcast.
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Abdelaziz’s comments came shortly after Nurmagomedov improved to 22-0 with a knockout win over Archie Colgan while defending his PFL lightweight title. The victory also marked an important moment in Nurmagomedov’s career, as the 28-year-old became a free agent and immediately sparked speculation about a potential move to the UFC.
That prediction, however, did not sit well with Topuria’s manager, Malki Kawa. The veteran MMA manager fired back at Abdelaziz and told him to think twice before making such bold claims. Taking to social media, Kawa shared a video in which he said, “You’ve got this guy, he’s sitting there with two of his clients, and one of them happens to be [Kamaru] Usman.”
He didn’t stop there. “They’re sitting there talking about his next opponent, ‘Oh yeah, he would beat this guy, he would beat that guy,’ and ‘He will do this, and he will do that.’ Guy, shut the fuck up. Ilia Topuria would annihilate 100 percent of your roster, including—if he fought Gaethje again—he would fucking beat the shit out of him.”
Kawa believes Topuria simply had an off night against Gaethje and remains one of the best fighters in the world. According to the manager, fans shouldn’t forget everything the Spaniard accomplished before that loss.
He added, “We all know that Ilia was better. He had a bad night. Your boy did good, congratulations. Stop hyping up the other shit. You sound like a clown. Ilia Topuria is still, in my book, the No. 1 fighter in the world.”
Kawa also has no doubts that Topuria will remind everyone of his abilities once he finally makes his return. The manager went as far as to name some of the biggest names in the sport and insisted that he doesn’t care who stands across from Topuria when he comes back.
The 47-year-old added, “I promise you guys, when the comeback comes, you will see what happens. Paddy Pimblett, Islam, Usman [Nurmagomedov], Gaethje, it doesn’t matter who. It doesn’t matter when. You guys will see a masterclass, that’s what that is.”
Ilia Topuria’s manager, Malki Kawa, went OFF on Ali Abdelaziz after he said Usman Nurmagomedov would make Ilia quit 😳
“Shut the f*ck up. Ilia Topuria would annihilate 100% of your roster.
If we fought Gaethje again, he would f*cking beat the sh*t out of him. We all know Ilia… pic.twitter.com/gJTsHGQupu
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 8, 2026
Topuria has largely stayed away from social media since UFC Freedom 250, with his only notable post coming when he congratulated Gaethje on his victory. Fans have since caught glimpses of the damage he suffered in the fight, but there is still no official word on when the former champion will return.
For now, Topuria’s focus appears to be on recovering from his injuries. Once he’s healthy enough to return, it will be fascinating to see whether Kawa’s confidence is justified and if the Spaniard can truly put together the masterclass his manager is promising.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
