P4P king Islam Makhachev thinks Michael Morales is a much more dangerous striker than Ilia Topuria. Makhachev doesn’t view the UFC lightweight champion as a threat if the 29-year-old ever weighs 170 pounds.
Makhachev is expected to make the first defense of his welterweight title post-Ramadan and is rumored to face Ian Machado Garry. Garry recently visited Georgia to find left-handed wrestlers who can help him dethrone the Russian.
In addition to Garry, Morales, Kamaru Usman and Carlos Prates are also in the mix and could emerge as the next challenger for the welterweight title.
Recently, in an interview with Ushatayka, Makhachev opined that Ilia Topuria’s superpowers may not be as effective at 170 pounds as they are at 155 pounds. The 34-year-old added that he considers Michael Morales the most dangerous puncher:
“I think Morales is much more dangerous as a puncher. He makes people fucking fall asleep with every shot he lands. I don’t see Topuria being as dangerous at 170 as he is at 155 because the size is different, the weight is different and the height is different. It will be much easier for welterweights to fight Topuria. I don’t see any danger from Topuria if he gets to 170.”
Check out Islam Makhachev’s comments below:
Michael Morales (19-0) is currently on a three-fight knockout streak, all coming in Round 1. In his most recent outing at UFC 322, he TKO’s top contender Sean Brady. The undefeated Ecuadorian has now racked up fourteen knockout victories in his pro-MMA career.
Ilia Topuria, on the other hand, is also undefeated (17-0). In his last three fights he knocked out Charles Oliveira in R1, became the first fighter to beat Max Holloway and before that defeated Alexander Volkanovski in 2024.
Islam Makhachev will not fight Ilia Topuria in the White House
During the same interview, Islam Makhachev also revealed that he will not fight Ilia Topuria at the White House as the latter will face Justin Gaethje to unify the titles.
“Yes, I think it will definitely not be in the White House because he already has opponents lined up and the UFC is not interested in that fight at the moment.”
Check out Islam Makhachev’s comments below:
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