Not everyone is sold on Ilia Topuria’s flawless UFC record.
The UFC lightweight champion has torn through two divisions on his way to the top, with his current three-fight run among the most impressive in UFC history.
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He knocked out Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway at featherweight before stopping Charles Oliveira last June to claim the 155-pound title.
Even though all three have picked up big wins since then, Shara Magomedov is not convinced that those results – or anything else Topuria has done in his career so far – are all that special.
Shara Magomedov calls out Ilia Topuria’s UFC competition
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Most fighters do not have much to criticise about Topuria’s UFC record, with some even tipping him for GOAT status if he keeps up his current form.
But Magomedov clearly is not one of them. Speaking recently to Meta MMA Plus, he questioned the quality of opposition Topuria has faced so far in the Octagon.
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“He’s a good fighter on his own, but if you look at how he got to the belt, there were four or five fights against questionable opponents,” ‘Bullet’ stated (h/t Red Corner MMA).
“And when he fought really serious fighters, they were already worn out. Charles Oliveira was worn out, I think.
“Max Holloway was a tough opponent, but he’s not the same as before,” he continued. “He’s taken a lot of damage in his career and kind of slowed down. Alexander Volkanovski was also not at the same level he used to be.”
Shara Magomedov’s only UFC defeat was to 38-year-old Michael ‘Venom’ Page
Topuria has not yet responded to Magomedov’s comments, but if he chooses to, he could point to the Dagestani’s record inside the Octagon.
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Magomedov does not have an unbeaten record like Topuria. He started his UFC run with four straight wins, pushing his overall mark to 15-0, but then lost to Michael ‘Venom’ Page at UFC Saudi Arabia in February 2025.
The English striker was already nearing the end of his career at that point. Plus, it was just his second fight at middleweight and his first in over a decade.
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