Aljamain Sterling is intrigued by one fight especially for Ilia Topuria.
UFC champion Ilia Topuria has dominated three weight classes in his career: Bantamweight, Featherweight and Light Weight, where he won his second UFC title with a first round knockout from Charles Oliveira on UFC 317.
A month later, the MMA world wonders if anyone can deduct the undefeated champion, given the current KO -Streak he is with Oliveira, Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski.
Some see #1 Competent Arman Tsarukyan as a title threat, while others former lightweight Islam Makhachev, which continues to Welterweight, has what is needed to act his first loss.
Former Bantamweight Champion and current Vederweight Competer Sterling suggests something from the left field for Topuria.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Aljamain Sterling says that Ilia Topuria vs. Petr Yan would be 'great fight' in featherweight
Sterling went to war twice with Petr Yan for the UFC Bantamweight title.
Sterling got his hand lifted in both trips, but 'Funkmaster' had to do with the striking at high level of Yan, which almost cost him his first fight with him at UFC 259 if it did not go for an illegal knee that Yan threw while he was grounded.
Former champion Yan is perhaps the best striker in the Bantamweight Division and has victories over former two -time champions Jose Aldo, Deiveson Figueiredo, as well as five -round victory on the upcoming title benefit Cory Sandhagen.
While weight classes are apart, Yan is the same height as the 5'7 ″ Topuria, and he almost fought against the current UFC Lightweight Champion in 2018, but fought against Jin Soo Soo instead.
“Do you know what a great fight? Ilia Topuria vs. Petr Yan,” said Sterling on his YouTube channel.
“That would be a crazy fight.
“I was actually intrigued by how that would actually go.
“If they were the same pound for pounds of thing … but even now, let's say, Yan went to 45 [featherweight] And Ilia remained at 45. That is just a unique fight in terms of the styles. Like, Ilia, yes, he is a power puncher, he wants to put you out …
“But Yan is so efficient with everything,” said Sterling about his dual rival.
“It just makes it intriguing. Like, how would that fight actually take place?” Sterling said about Yan vs. Topuria.
Yan recently made three victories in a row with a unanimous decision victory on Marcus Mcghee at UFC Abu Dhabi.
Ilia Topurias days in featherweight are probably over
Topuria shocked the world last fall when he announced that he would leave the featherweight division.
It was a decision that Topuria had weighed for a while and Topuria finally gave up its world title earlier this year, in the pursuit of the lightweight title.
Now, a two -division champion, Topuria tries to defend his title and possibly grab a third belt in Welterweight if that is what the future has in store.
With that, and the toll that takes the weight cut on the body, there is a good chance that Topuria will never fight with 145 pounds again.