When Ilia Topuria Scolded Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Cousins for Being Super Cheaters on Steroids

In a Spanish-language interview, Ilia Topuria showed tremendous respect to the former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov but the featherweight king had harsh words for his cousins and some teammates.

Ilia Topuria Scolds Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Cousins for Being on Steroids

The Spanish-Georgian Ilia Topuria had an incredible 2024. He stopped two top-ranked pound-for-pound fighters, Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, both by knockout. With the UFC featherweight crown in-tact, he may be looking up a division to challenge the lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, a student of Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Dagestan’s Khabib Nurmagomedov retired with a perfect 29-0 record and a UFC lightweight champion leaving behind an incredible legacy. His team and cousins have picked up multiple titles across MMA including the UFC, Bellator, and elsewhere.

But the Spanish-Georgian athlete had some harsh words for the Nurmagomedov family and team while expressing tremendous respect for Nurmagomedov himself. Ilia Topuria explained:

“Look, one thing I respect about Khabib Nurmagomedov is the guy is really super respectful. He never says anything about anybody. People talk a lot. He never says anything about anybody. I’ve mentioned Islam Makhachev, and all the cousins come out. They have never knocked anyone out, they get caught using steroids, they’re super cheaters, and suddenly they jump.

“The only thing it tells me is that they have a damaged nervous system from taking so many steroids. Because that’s the first thing that gets damaged. Threatening a fighter with ‘When we see each other I’m going to hit you.’ It’s like, man, I dedicate my life to fighting, let them be a little more creative. I don’t know what to say. Their best is Islam Makhachev. “