The UFC light weight debut by Ilia Topuria did not go exactly to plan, because he had to overcome early adversity when he was eliminated almost clean.
Since he came to the UFC in 2020, Ilia Topuria has become one of the biggest stars of the sport and is now at the top of the pound-for-pound ranks.
'El Matador' became the featherweight champion in 2024, after Topuria Alexander Volkanovski had beaten UFC 298, so that he was further confirmed his star when he became the first hunter that Max Holloway eliminated in his first title defense last October.
It was recently announced that Topuria has left its featherweight title and will start with his pursuit of the lightweight title while he will continue to see a fight against Islam Makhachev.
Read more: 'Very unusual' … UFC Legend Slams Ilia Topuria for chasing Islam Makhachev Fight
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Ilia Topuria narrowed the defeat in his lightweight debut
Although this will mark the permanent movement of the Spaniard to 155 pounds, it is not the first time that he fought with that weight during his five-year UFC official period.
After he started his career at 145 pounds, Topuria went to Bantamweight during his time at Cage Warriors, even fighting for their 135 pound title. The 28-year-old won the fight but was not eligible for the title after weighing 139.4LBS.
Once he signed at the UFC and went back to featherweight, 'El Matador' had difficulty finding fighting at 145 pounds and made the opportunity to fight Jai Herbert on lightweight in UFC London in 2022.
During Fight Week, Topuria was otherwise busy with Paddy 'The Baddy' Pimblett while the two bumped into the Fighter Hotel after Pimblett launched a hand disinfector in Topuria. Since then, Topuria and Pimblett have continued their feud.
Despite the fact that Topuria sent all his opponents relatively ease, his lightweight debut was anything but simple.
In the first round against Herbert, the Spaniard clearly struggled with the emphasis of the size and struggled to get his powerful boxes going. Only a minute in the fight was he hit with a huge main kick that dropped him and sent him in survival mode.
Topuria managed to regain his calmness and reached the stool for the second round after he had been left bloody.
And when in the early stages of round two, Topuria demonstrated why he was emphasized as a guaranteed future champion when he folded Herbert after landing a right hand with a peak.
UFC Hall of Famer describes how Ilia Topuria will match Islam Makhachev
With Topuria as one of the biggest stars and a champion at 145 pounds, his first fight will probably come against the champion again at lightweight, Islam Makhakev.
That is although Makhachev does not like to give Topuria a title shot, and claims that he would first have to beat a lightweight competition.
Despite that, UFC Hall of Famer, Michael Bisping believes that the fight will take place afterwards and has described how he thinks Topuria corresponds to the Russian champion.
“I think we'll see this matchup,” Bisping began to explain in a video on his YouTube channel.
“If we simply imagine that the wrestling is destroyed itself, which I don't think it would do, I think it is probably a little better … if we look at the striking styles, Ilia Topuria, give I prefer him as the boxer, Islam Makhachev has some nice little stairs.
“The problem is with Ilia Topuria and the boxing position, it is very heavy on that lead leg, so you are looking for Islam Makhachev to chip away with calf kicks and tries to keep it at a distance.
“Anyway, I don't know who would win because both boys are incredible.”
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