Pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev was recently asked whether he rates the striking pedigree of UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria over that of Conor McGregor.
Despite McGregor’s long-running feud with Team Khabib, Makhachev favored the Irishman.
In the past, the Dubliner has put several opponents to sleep with his elite precision and timing. The Notorious etched his name in UFC history by knocking out Jose Aldo at UFC 194, which remains the fastest finish in a UFC title fight to date. After that win, McGregor said:
“Precision trumps power and timing trumps speed.”
Watch Conor McGregor’s comments below:
Over the years, several high-profile fighters, including Eddie Alvarez, Donald Cerrone and Dustin Poirier, have felt the impact of McGregor’s left hand.
Topuria, on the other hand, has also scored knockout victories over Max Holloway, Charles Oliveira and Alexander Volkanovski on his way to becoming a two-division UFC champion.
McGregor fights in the southpaw stance and his left hand is his main weapon. On the other hand, Topuria uses his sharp and powerful right hand to deliver fight-ending blows.
Islam Makhachev compares Ilia Topuria and Conor McGregor’s strike
Islam Makhachev noted in a recent interview with Ushatayka that Conor McGregor’s fighting style, timing and ability to catch opponents with his right hand were exceptional. The Russian fighter said:
“If we talk about pure attacking power, Topuria may have more. But as a counter-puncher, McGregor was better. His timing, the way he waited and set things up. I’m a left-hander myself, and he’s a left-hander too. The way he caught opponents with the left hand and made them miss. That was on another level.”
Watch Islam Makhachev’s comments below:
Conor McGregor hasn’t fought since breaking his leg in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in 2021. However, this year, after the UFC announced the 2026 White House card, ‘The Notorious’ showed interest in it, joined the testing pool and is now committed to being a part of this event.
He also trains regularly and will be a… six-month combat camp before his long-awaited return. If all goes according to plan, McGregor will fight Michael Chandler on June 14. More news is expected in February 2026, when the promotion maps out the fight lineup for the UFC White House card.
Topuria, on the other hand, has taken a break from fighting due to personal reasons and is expected to return after the first quarter of 2026.
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