Islam Makhachev solidified his status as the lightweight king after a dominating performance against Renato Moicano at UFC 311. The ease with which he defeated Moicano raises questions about who can pose a meaningful challenge to him. Ilia Topuria’s recent victories over Alexander Volkanovski and Holloway have sparked interest in a potential showdown between Makhachev and the featherweight champion.
Makhachev’s impressive skills, particularly his D’Arce choke submissions, make him nearly unbeatable. His victory over Moicano was not surprising to many, given the similarities with Dustin Poirier’s earlier loss to Makhachev and Jon Jones’ own struggles against him. The undefeated Tsarukyan, who presented a stylistic challenge to Makhachev, may be the only one to pose an interesting threat in the near future.
However, Topuria’s bold statement on social media, calling out Makhachev for a potential knockout victory, could be seen as delusional. The timing of this assertion also coincides with Ramadan hibernation, adding to the humor surrounding it. Regardless, seeing Topuria challenge Makhachev would make their upcoming fight highly anticipated and potentially historic.
With the current lightweight landscape, a matchup between Makhachev and Topuria could be one of the most exciting prospects for fans. The question remains whether Topuria’s skills are enough to overcome Makhachev’s immense skillset. One thing is certain: if Islam Makhachev truly has emerged as the pound-for-pound king, he would love to test his abilities against a formidable challenger like Ilia Topuria.
Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/after-ufc-311-its-clear-islam-makhachev-is-where-delusions-go-to-die-180838934.html