Ilia Topuria vs Islam Makahchev for the lightweight title has been put in limbo by the champion. Ilia’s foray into the untested territories of 155 lbs division has unfortunately not been enough for Islam to put another featherweight on his resume. However, if Topuria’s head coach Jordge Climent asserts that the UFC should put pen to paper and give the fans what they want.
Makhachev is in serious need of a challenge at the moment. Ever since winning the belt at 155 pounds at UFC 280 in 2022, he has been utterly dominant and secured impressive wins over former champions like Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, and Alexander Volkanovski.
At this point in time, there is no stand-out, clear number-one contender for the title shot. While Justin Gaethje’s win at UFC 313 puts him in pole position, he’s only had one win after being out of action for a year. following a brutal KO loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300.
So unless Islam actively seeks out the welterweight title anytime soon, a fight with Topuria would be the most exciting avenue for the UFC to pursue.
In an interview with Submission Radio, Climent reiterated the sentiment and said, “I pray to do this fight. I think it’s the people’s fight, all the people want to see this fight.”
“Me, I want to see this fight, it is a big fight. I don’t know what it is the plan of Islam or what he really wants, but I think this is the fight”, he asserted.
Islam, at this point, has run unchecked in the lightweight division and is currently on a 14-fight win streak, four of which have come from successful title defenses. Unlike his Dagestani predecessor and mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, he has also discovered for himself a range of versatility never seen before from grapplers.
A KO win against Volkanovski at UFC 284, followed by the outboxing of Dustin Poirier at UFC 302, are testaments to his ever-evolving powers.
Topuria, on the other hand, has the distinction of defeating both Volkanovski and Holloway in the same year via knockouts. While he is yet to take on a credible grappler, the Spaniard is known to be in possession of a decent ground game.
Should he manage to stop Makhachev’s takedowns, Topuria could very well prove to be a worthy adversary for the lightweight champion. In fact, former foe Volkaovski is giving him a puncher’s chance at taking on Makhachev and putting him down.
Volkanovski predcits Islam vs Topuria
As he prepares to fight for the vacated featherweight title against Diego Lopes at UFC 314, Volk shared his opinion on his predecessor’s chance against the Dagestani behemoth.
Having fought both fighters in competitive matches, Volk is in a unique position to strategize against either. As such, he claims that despite Islam’s all-around abilities, Topuria’s raw power and boxing skills allow him a distinct advantage.
Speaking to UFC analyst Daniel Cormier, he explains, “It’s pretty simple for anyone looking at it, Ilia is that dangerous. The only way I see Islam losing is someone catching him. But who has got the best chance of doing that? Someone like Ilia.”
However, if he is betting money, Volk is smart enough not to gamble everything on the Spaniard. The former featherweight champion asserts that he believes in Islam’s ability to control the fight for the entire duration of it. Should that become an eventuality, he sees the Dagestani fighter mount a 5th successful title defense.
