The former UFC Vederweight Champion is planned to stay in its weapons after leaving his title to go up a weight class.
Ilia Topuria is willing to wait for his lightweight title shot instead of making a top candidate, even if this means that he would fight later than he originally wanted.
The division is currently standing still with fans who do not know what the next one will be for Islam Makhachev with Topuria who expects it to go to Welterweight.
There are other major fights for the new arrival of the division, but 'La Leyenda' is not interested in something that is not gold, even if he hopes to share the Octagon with a rival of him in the near future.
Topuria has an eye on Paddy Pimblett after his big win over UFC 314, but another lightweight competition does not see the undefeated star making a seamless transition to 155 pounds if he immediately goes against the current champion.
Photo by Aldara Zarraoa/Getty images
Mateusz Gamrot says that Ilia Topuria is too small to be a serious threat to Islam Makhachev
Although the chances of seeing it take place, are currently relatively unlikely because both parties have very different views on the fight, Ilia Topuria opposite Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title is one of the largest matchups that are currently possible.
The challenger who is happy to wait will not change the fact that people like Khabib Nurmagomedov believe that Topuria needs a win in a big name before fighting the champion.
Mateusz Gamrot predicts that even if everything falls into place in the coming months for 'La Leyenda', his undefeated run will end to the number one of the pound-for-pound.
In a recent interview with MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn, Gamrot gave his opinion about the matchup and how he sees this enormous collision when it is.
Surprisingly, the #7-ranged competitions believes that Topuria earns a lightweight title shot after he had left his belt to move to 155 pounds.
Although the 28-year-old may be worth taking the champion, Gamrot does not believe that the fight would be competitive for the simple fact that Topuria is too small to challenge Makhachev.
Once we have seen him compete in the Octagon earlier in the Octagon, but it is still to be seen whether the size will play a factor when it is confronted with the best that the division has to offer.
“For me, interesting fight, but I don't know. Topuria is a small man. Islam is a very big guy and I don't think Topuria has a chance against him, you know. If you want to fight Islam, you have to be a big guy, similar to him, because he is good everywhere, but if your body is smaller than his, you have no chance.”
Alexander Volkanovski gave Islam Makhachev a very heavy fight at UFC 284 despite the size difference
In his first defense of the lightweight title on UFC 284, Islam Makhachev won a hard -fought decision about Alexander Volkanovski in a classic fight.
'The Great' certainly gave the title defender a run for his money after he had moved from featherweight, on 5'6 “compared to Makhachev on 5'10” according to UFC statistics.
MMA Maths does not always work and Volkanovski is known as excellent in using his long arms and distance control to make up for his length, but Ilia Topuria is an inch bigger than his former opponent.
We do not know how Topuria will adapt to the lightweight division, but he seems to be sure that this weight class will get the best out of him now that he does not have to bring his body through a difficult weight area.
Comments