Islam Makhachev’s coach Javier Mendez has given his thoughts on Ilia Topuria’s big defeat at UFC Freedom 250 last weekend.

Last Sunday, Ilia Topuria fell to his first professional loss in mixed martial arts at the hands of Justin Gaethje. It was a pretty emphatic defeat, and although Ilia certainly had his moments, which included nearly stopping Gaethje in the second round, it was ultimately a poor showing for someone who we have come to expect excellence from.

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One possibility for Topuria if he had wound up winning would have been a superfight against Islam Makhachev, likely up at welterweight where he is the current champion. The two have been going back and forth at one another for quite some time, but now, it feels unlikely that we will ever see it.

In a recent interview, Makhachev’s coach Javier Mendez touched on both Topuria’s loss and the possibility of a fight against Conor McGregor.

Mendez’s view on Topuria’s title defeat

“I’m not disappointed at all,” Mendez told Submission Radio. “It’s in God’s plans. We just go along with whatever God plans for us to do, and it just means we move on forward. Let’s face it, Islam Makhachev has plenty of challengers in the welterweight division. We didn’t need Topuria for Islam to vault himself to another level.”

“Maybe if that Irish guy (Conor McGregor) may decide, if he’s victorious on July 11, why not? He’s up for the challenge, so we’d be up for the challenge,” Mendez said.

Quotes via MMA Junkie

Do you believe we will ever see Ilia Topuria take on Islam Makhachev? If it does happen, who would you back to pick up the win and how? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, BJPENN Nation!