If and when Ilia Topuria meets Islam Makhachev in the pressure cooker of greatness, the UFC will have its next face. Pick your cliche! A battle for the ages, a clash of the titans, when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object but none of them would actually capture how historic their matchup would be. After all, it is not every day that two-generational, nigh unbeatable superstars, who have been as dominant as them, meet in the Octagon. But so intriguing is the matchup and so evenly the scales tipped that even MMA legend Bas Rutten, one of the greatest minds in the world, couldn’t pick the winner to save his life.
“One punch could seal the deal, [Topuria] only has to land it, you know. That’s a great power to have in your back pocket. But when is that moment there, you know, because Makhachev is really good in controlling every aspect of the game. It’s a hard fight man. This is a very hard fight this is like I wonder it goes even on the [judges’ score] cards. It’s one of those things,” the former UFC heavyweight champ said in an interview with Dutch YouTuber on his ‘Buiten De Kooi- MMA Podcast’.
Of course, most think that Makhachev’s ground game would be the real game changer since ‘La Leyenda’ likes to do his best work on the feet. However, the Dutch legend feels that would be a mistake. Topuria is a pretty good grappler who came into the sport on a wrestling base and has a BJJ black belt to boot. Not to mention this is the fight game, where even one mistake, one moment of lapsed concentration could prove fatal, as Rutten pointed out.
“Makhachev, if he can play by his rules, constantly push push push push, then he might get it. But is he going to get hit in between, you know? And there’s still the submission game. Never expect you’re way better at submission than somebody else. That’s a big lesson you should watch out for. I’ve seen black belts getting suddenly submitted because they didn’t respect their opponent too much, by a guy virtually a blue belt. You see, so it’s only one moment of weakness, you know. It’s a hard fight to call man, I have no idea,” he added.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 17: Ilia Topuria punches Alexander Volkanovski of Australia in their featherweight title fight during UFC 298 at Honda Center on February 17, 2024 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
To make things even more interesting, Topuria has claimed that he could even submit Makhachev even if he wanted. Moreover, the Spanish-Georgian superstar is sure that he will eventually find Makhachev’s chin, where his immense one-punch knockout power would come in handy. And despite the recent buzz, it seems like that fight may be closer to happening than most think.
Is Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria next after all?
When Ilia Topuria moved up to lightweight earlier this year, he was hoping a lightweight title clash with Islam Makhachev would be next. After all, the soon-to-be former featherweight champ has long been calling for a Makahchev super-fight and has gone back and forth with the Dagestani, which has already built up some good hype between them.
However, as you may know, the lightweight champ wants ‘La Leyenda’ to prove himself at 155lbs first. Makhachev reportedly even turned down a Topuria clash earlier this month, which means the Georgia native has no option other than fighting a top lightweight. This, at the moment, looks to be one of three men. Justin Gaethje, Arman Tsarukyan, and Charles Oliveira.
While we do not know at the moment who exactly Topuria will fight next, he has two names in mind. “All my training is focused on Islam or Charles because I don’t see any other opponents. Neither of them seems to dare [to fight me]… These are the symptoms of fear, we all know that, but it’s normal. I’d be scared too,” ‘La Leyenda’ told reporters in a recent press talk.
Is Topuria focused on these two names because he knows something we don’t? Maybe. But it could also be a case of wishful thinking. What do you think about Bas Rutten’s take on the Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria matchup?
The post “Never Expect You’re Way Better at Submission” – Islam Makhachev Gets a Hard-Hitting Reminder on Underestimating Ilia Topuria appeared first on EssentiallySports.
