Islam Makhachev’s former opponent has thrown his weight behind a possible fight between Makhachev and Ilia Topuria.
Topuria vs. Makhachev is a match that fans have been wanting for a long time. But at this point, it seems a long way from becoming a reality as Topuria is on hiatus and Makhachev has work to do as the newly minted 170-pound kingpin.
Even before he gave up his featherweight championship and moved up to lightweight, Topuria was gunning for a fight against Makhachev. However, after Belal Muhammad was dethroned at UFC 315, the Russian fighter opted to leave and move up. This dashed the hope that ‘El Matador’ would fight Makhachev.
Topuria, on the other hand, took the vacant lightweight championship with a vicious Round 1 KO by Charles Oliveira at UFC 317.
A potential clash between the two two-division UFC champions has captivated much of the MMA community, with both camps openly expressing their interest in making the fight happen. Makhachev has stated that he could move up to 155 pounds for this superfight if the UFC comes up with a solid deal. On the other hand, Topuria wants to fight Makhachev at welterweight, dethrone him and become the first three-division UFC champion.
‘JDM’ thinks Islam Makhachev will beat ‘El Matador’
Jack Della Maddalena, who lost his title to Islam Makhachev at UFC 322, recently gave his thoughts on this super fight. ‘JDM’ thinks Makhachev will beat Ilia Topuria. However, if the Georgian-Spaniard can keep the fight going, it will be a competitive fight. During a recent sitdown with N3on, ‘JDM’ said:
“I think Islam is good. Ilia is good, I just think the size would be a lot. Islam looked big. Ilia is a heavy puncher; if he can keep him on his feet and throw punches, it would be a good fight. It has to be done.”
Check out Jack Della Maddalena’s comments below:
Jack Della Maddalena also told N3on that he plans to take it back to Islam Makhachev. But before that, the former champion wants to fight and beat No. 2 welterweight contender, Shavkat Rakhmonov.
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