Exclusive: Mateusz Gamrot issues definitive prediciton for potential Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria clash
Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria is all the rage in MMA at the moment, despite the matchup not yet receiving an official confirmation from the UFC. That, though, hasn't stopped the likes of Mateusz Gamrot from commenting on the bout in a recent, exclusive interview with Sportskeeda's own James Lynch.
When asked by Lynch for his thoughts on the matchup, Gamrot put a decent amount of thought into his answer. He highlighted the stylistic differences between Makhachev and Topuria, as well as the difference in physicality.
"Yeah, this is really interesting matchup like you say. Like boxer versus all-rounder guy, but Islam is big guy, strong, and really good wrestler. If you gonna fight against this guy like Islam, I think, my opinion, you have to be a little bit bigger than Ilia. Ilia is normally like featherweight division guy. So, this can be interesting fight, but I think Islam crack him, like beat him, take him down and finish on the ground."
Check out Mateusz Gamrot's thoughts on Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria (10:55):
While Makhachev's strength and wrestling skills have been enough to overcome nearly all of his opponents, two come in mind who he struggled against. The first is Arman Tsarukyan, whose own physical strength and wrestling allowed him to do fairly well against Makhachev on short notice at UFC Fight Night 149.
Tsarukyan ultimately lost the fight via unanimous decision after gassing out, but for a time was the one fighter Makhachev couldn't just bulldoze. Then, years later, at UFC 284, the Dagestani grappler encountered, ironically, a featherweight in Alexander Volkanovski, one of the greatest 145-pounders, in fact.
In a shocking twist, Volkanovski gave Makhachev his toughest-ever fight, matching him in physicality and even slightly exceeding him in strength in the clinch. In the end, though, Makhachev won via unanimous decision.
Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria is rumored to be in the works
International Fight Week is of tremendous significance to the UFC. This year, it features UFC 317, which is without an official headline. Given the importance of the occasion, the headline needs to be massive, which has sparked reports of Islam Makhachev being the main event.
He is expected to defend his lightweight title against Ilia Topuria, who has been calling for a lightweight title shot and has also asserted that he will only fight Makhachev. Given that he recently announced that he is starting his training camp, many believe it is for Makhachev.