Ilia Topuria spoke to members of the foreign media about Islam Makhachev’s future if he were to lose his upcoming welterweight title. When asked, “Would you rather fight Islam if you lose, or Tsarukyan if you win?” the champion replied: “If Islam loses, he will go back to Dagestan to farm and continue herding his sheep. But if he wins, I will definitely go up. One hundred percent.”
Ilia Topuria makes it clear that he will pursue Islam to whatever weight class he goes. The implication that he would be willing to move up in an attempt to capture a third belt is compelling, to say the least. Already considered a smaller man in the lightweight division, fans have no reason to doubt Ilia. He achieved everything he promised, and with style. A knockout artist who can also submit high level grapplers, Topuria is as good as it gets.
That said, Islam Makhachev has proven that he is a completely different beast. He submitted Charles Oliveira, the fighter with the most submissions in UFC history, with zero effort. Islam left the lightweight division as the most successful champion of all time.
The legacy of Islam Makhachev’s shot and superfight
How does Islam Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena rank among previous UFC superfights, should this one go down?
The first major superfight between reigning champions took place UFC94 in 2009, when BJ Penn moved up to challenge Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title. It was the first time active title holders faced each other in the UFC. GSP retained his title, dominated Penn and cemented his place as one of the sport’s greats.
This was followed by Conor McGregor’s historic run. After knocking out the featherweight legend Jose Aldohe advanced and defeated Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 to become the first fighter to hold two UFC titles simultaneously.
Amanda Nunes cemented her status as the greatest female fighter in MMA history with a stunning first-round knockout against Cris Cyborg, capturing her second title and becoming women’s featherweight and bantamweight champion.
Another iconic clash occurred when Daniel Cormier, then the reigning light heavyweight champion, took on heavyweight titleholder Stipe Miocic. Cormier shocked the world with a first-round knockout and joined the elite list of double champions.
If Islam Makhachev defeats Jack Della Maddalena to become a two-division champion, it would not only put him alongside these legends, but also mark one of the most stylistically intriguing superfights in recent history. It would also make him the only fighter in UFC history to defeat multiple reigning champions from different weight classes.
#Ilia #loss #send #Makhachev #Dagestan #sheep