In his interview with Ariel Helwani before UFC 317, Ilia Topuria said it loud and clear, “I’m going to finish him in the first round, he walks forward — this is all I need.” While some in the MMA sphere scoffed at his prediction, once the cage doors locked behind him, ‘El Matador’ did exactly what he had promised. Charles Oliveira barely got going despite getting the fight to the ground pretty early. But the moment he walked forward, Topuria saw his opening. A clean right-left combo crumpled ‘Do Bronx’ and a couple more hammer fists sealed it.
In under three minutes, Topuria was crowned the new UFC lightweight champion, and arguably, the sport’s next megastar. But while fans chanted Topuria’s name, not everyone was thrilled by the outcome, especially those closest to the man who had vacated the lightweight throne, Islam Makhachev. A video posted on X by ‘TheUFCStats’ account caught the cage-side reactions to the stunning finish, but fans latched onto one detail: Ali Abdelaziz’s face.
The Dominance MMA CEO has been a long-time manager of Makhachev and a member of Team Khabib. As ‘El Matador’s right hand sent ‘Do Bronx’ crashing to the mat, the crowd erupted. Paddy Pimblett laughed and clapped. Kayla Harrison threw her hands over her head. But Abdelaziz? He froze. Just a stunned, blank stare as the camera panned across. For a man known for his fiery tweets and bold post-fight reactions, his silence in that moment said everything.
Ali knows this is the end of Islam Makhachev pic.twitter.com/MozNLmVTPP
— UFCStats (@TheUFCStats) July 1, 2025
With that performance, the Georgian-Spanish wrecking ball became the first undefeated fighter to win UFC titles in two divisions. The win didn’t just shock the division; it shook the entire pound-for-pound rankings. Topuria now sits on the P4P throne, while Islam Makhachev, who vacated his lightweight crown to chase welterweight gold, slipped to No. 2. Yet the fans saw it as a mix of shock, disbelief, and perhaps even fear on Ali Abdelaziz’s face as we take a look at what the netizens had to say about Team Khabib’s now-viral moment!
Fans fire off on Islam Makhachev’s manager as his reaction to Ilia Topuria’s UFC 317 win goes viral
One fan wrote, “He looks terrified… and then relieved that Islam gets one more year as champion, before losing to JDM and then eventually Topuria.” This theory tapped into a real possibility, which may have been the reason behind the reaction on Ali Abdelaziz’s face. With Islam Makhachev now chasing a second title at 170 lbs, he’s temporarily safe from Ilia Topuria’s wrath. Yet, if he loses the battle to Jack Della Maddalena, he might not be able to halt the surging ‘El Matador’s momentum in their long-awaited clash!
Another said, “Ali looks horrified lol.” It was a short sentence, but the words hit hard. Paired with the viral clip of his wide-eyed, emotionless stare while the arena exploded around him, it was clear that the Team Khabib manager’s reaction or lack thereof spoke louder than any tweet he could’ve fired off.
Then came the social media shade as one fan claimed, “You just know he had drafts and drafts of tweets ready to s— on Ilia from every account he has.” It’s no secret that Abdelaziz is one of the most vocal managers in the sport. Known for allegedly operating multiple social media accounts and backing his clients with rapid-fire posts, fans imagined the Dominance MMA boss with a stack of pre-written tweets ready to roast Topuria, only to have them erased with one brutal KO!
But someone else chimed in with, “He’s relieved Islam vacated the title.” For some fans, his reaction wasn’t fear, but rather, it was a sigh of relief. With Charles Oliveira now added to ‘El Matador’ highlight reel alongside Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, the timing of Islam Makhachev’s departure from lightweight might have come as a blessing in disguise for Team Khabib and their manager. What do you think?
And finally, one fan tried to decipher the dialogue going on in Abdelaziz’s mind as he watched the KO unfold as they wrote, “Ali say: Damn, I’m not this guy’s manager.” It was a subtle jab, but one that summed up the entire situation. Ilia Topuria’s rise has been so overwhelming, so undeniable, that even the power players are starting to take notice!
To wrap things up, Ali Abdelaziz’s frozen expression told fans everything they needed to know. And they ran wild with it. From relief to horror to the possibility of pre-written tweets going up in flames, the internet had a field day. But behind all the memes lies a growing truth: Ilia Topuria isn’t just chasing greatness anymore; he might already be knocking at the door!
The post Islam Makhachev Caught in Crossfire as Fans Unearth Team Khabib’s “Terrified” Ilia Topuria KO Reaction appeared first on EssentiallySports.