Ex-UFC title challenger shares honest opinion on potential Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria clash: "That fight fills me with excitement"
Former UFC title challenger recently shared his thoughts on the potential Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria fight.
Makhachev and Topuria have been at odds for a while, and many foresee their 'champion vs. champion' super-fight possibly materializing at lightweight in the near future.
Makhachev, who hails from Dagestan, Russia, is the reigning UFC lightweight champion. The 33-year-old boasts the record for the highest number of successful UFC lightweight title defenses (4). On the other hand, the Georgian-Spaniard Topuria is currently the UFC featherweight champion. The 28-year-old has one successful title defense to his name thus far.
In a recent edition of the Overdogs Espanol podcast, host Yoel Romero discussed various topics. Romero notably notched an Olympic silver medal in the sport of freestyle wrestling. The Cuban martial artist later transitioned to MMA and extensively competed in the UFC, even challenging for the interim UFC middleweight title and the UFC middleweight title.
Although Romero didn't win a UFC title, he's still regarded as one of the scariest MMA fighters ever, courtesy of his formidable grappling and thunderous knockout power. Presently, 'Soldier of God' is signed to the GFL (Global Fight League) and is expected to fight MMA legend Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua under the GFL banner next.
Romero cited how Georgian wrestlers often prove to be tough matchups for the Russian and Dagestani wrestlers. Expounding upon it during the Spanish-language podcast, the 47-year-old seemed to suggest that Ilia Topuria could be a threat to Islam Makhachev:
"I'd love it. That fight fills me with excitement ... The Georgians have always been the Achilles heel of the Russian and Dagestani wrestlers."
Check out Romero's comments below:
Watch the podcast episode below (*comments at 1:20:27):
Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria: UFC lightweight kingpin's recent hint at potential super-fight
UFC featherweight kingpin Ilia Topuria, who's adamant about wanting to become a two-division champion, has consistently campaigned for a title shot against UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. Similarly, Makhachev has expressed interest in becoming a two-division champion by capturing the welterweight belt, perhaps even moving to middleweight and becoming a three-division champion.
Incidentally, Makhachev's occasional training partner, Belal Muhammad, happens to be the current UFC welterweight champion. Over the past several months, Muhammad repeatedly urged Makhachev to skip a division and fight UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis. 'Remember the Name' has often signaled that he'd rather not fight Makhachev.
During a recent conversation with Match TV, Islam Makhachev hinted that UFC head honcho Dana White has something special planned for him. The Dagestani MMA combatant underscored that he has multiple options right now but needs to sit down with his team to discuss the same.
Some perceived it as a hint that he could fight Topuria in their long-awaited super-fight. Makhachev, whose next fight and comeback opponent haven't been officially announced yet, stated:
"There is an option in my weight class, and there is an offer from the UFC, but let's wait for now."