Two Champions Seeking Two Championships
The MMA community received huge news yesterday, with Ilia Topuria announcing that he will vacate his Featherweight title to compete at Lightweight moving forward. The move comes as a surprise but not exactly a shock. In recent months, Topuria has been candid about his ambitions to become a two-weight champion. He repeatedly called out Islam Makhachev specifically, expressing confidence that he could defeat the current pound-for-pound #1.
For his part, Makhachev has previously expressed little interest in giving Topuria the opportunity. He has said that giving two chances to the Featherweight champion (both against former champ Alexander Volkanovski) was enough, and he would prefer to change weight himself and seek a coveted second title. His stance has since softened, and his camp has indicated that if Topuria proves himself at Lightweight, Islam would grant the smaller man’s wish. However, the ultimate goal for Islam is still a second belt.
His path to achieving that is complicated. Already a big man for 155, dropping to Featherweight has never been an option. Moving to 170 is also an issue, at least for now. The current Welterweight champion, Belal Muhammad, is a friend and training partner who has said he would never fight Makhachev. In light of this, Islam has expressed interest in possibly moving up two weight classes to challenge for the Middleweight strap.
It’s a complicated situation with a lot of moving parts and a lot of possibilities. As expected, fans and analysts are abuzz with speculation on how all of these potential fights may play out if they come to fruition. Dustin Poirier voiced his opinions on all of this two weeks ago. Given the newly heightened likelihood of actualizing one or more of these dream matchups, his assessment warrants some attention.
Dustin Poirier on Ilia Topuria Challenging Makhachev
Poirier’s views came to light during an interview with Helen Yee, who asked for his prediction on the anticipated showdown between Topuria and Islam Makhachev. In the perennial Lightweight contender’s view, Makhachev’s size advantage would likely prove an insurmountable obstacle for Ilia.
“If [Ilia Topuria] can stop the takedowns, I think his boxing’s better. But I think the size difference is just too much.”
The assessment seems reasonable; Islam has scored a takedown in 8 of his last nine fights, the lone exception being his second fight against Alexander Volkanovski. Successful takedowns were likely forthcoming there as well, but they weren’t necessary due to Makhachev’s first-round KO win via a brutal head kick. It’s worth noting that Topuria possesses a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt should the fight go to the ground. However, as the adage goes, “there are levels to this game.” Islam Makhachev is a former Combat Sambo world champion with submission victories over five BJJ black belts in his UFC career. Staying off the ground should be Topuria’s primary objective, and it’s a tall order for anyone against Makhachev. The difference in size just makes that uphill battle even steeper.
Poirier’s Thoughts on Makhachev’s Middleweight Aspirations
When asked about whether Islam Makhachev could defeat Dricus du Plessis at Middleweight, Dustin Poirier gave an equally bleak prediction for the man seeking glory at a higher weight. Much like with Ilia Topuria, he believed the size difference would be too much for the smaller fighter.
“I think [Makhachev] would do really well at 170. 185, the guys are just too big. Islam’s a big guy; he can become the champion at 170, I believe. But 185’s pushing it, I think.”
It would certainly be a very ambitious move for Makhachev and would present a colossal challenge. No fighter in UFC history has ever been champion in 3 divisions. Similarly, none have ever accomplished what Islam proposes and moved two divisions to become champions of non-consecutive weight classes. Only Anatoly Malykhin of ONE Championship has ever become a triple-champ in a major MMA promotion, and he claimed his titles in a linear progression from Heavyweight to Light Heavyweight to Middleweight.
We’ll have plenty of time to speculate on all of this in the coming weeks and months. Topuria will likely take some time adjusting to his new weight, and from earlier indications, he may not be granted an immediate shot at Makhachev’s throne. All we can say with certainty is that we’re in for an exciting year with the potential for some massive superstar clashes and significant changes to the status quo.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
