At UFC 308, Ilia Topuria silenced many of his critics with a dominant performance. ‘El Matador’ delivered an impressive third-round knockout against Max Holloway, marking his first successful defense of the featherweight title. His performance caught the attention of experts across the MMA world, including Islam Makhachev’s coach, Javier Mendez.
Ilia Topuria has already discussed his intentions to fight Islam Makhachev and capture the double champion status. This also resulted in a series of online disputes between him and Team Khabib. Despite the rivalry, Javier Mendez gave Topuria his flowers after the UFC 308 performance. However, defeating Makhachev is a different matter altogether.
Topuria’s tighter, his punches are cleaner. He’s not there to get hit hard…last night proved to me that he’s the best boxer presently in the UFC.
Javier Mendez via Submission Radio
Mendez also shed light on a potential lightweight bout between Makhachev and Topuria. According to the expert coach, boxing against the Georgian-Spaniard would be a wrong choice for Makhachev. Similarly, for Topuria, it would be foolish to outgrapple the lightweight champion.
Whether he can hang with Islam or not on the ground…at the end of the day, the longer you grapple with Islam, the worse it’s going to get.
Javier Mendez via Submission Radio
Javier Mendez has trained Islam Makhachev for years and knows his strengths and weaknesses inside and out. He believes only Khabib Nurmagomedov could challenge Makhachev on the ground in a serious way. Despite Topuria’s impressive skills, many remain skeptical about his ability to compete with Makhachev.
UFC 308 superstar predicts Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev
Going into UFC 308, Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway promised to give fight fans a war. While the ‘Blessed’ talked about relying on his chin and cardio, the champ had plans for an early finish. Topuria delivered on his promise and became the first person to knockout Holloway.
Topuria’s confidence has never been higher following his victory, as reflected in his bold recent statements. After the fight, Topuria vowed to achieve another remarkable feat by submitting Makhachev in the future. When Max Holloway was asked about the fight, the Hawaiian star responded candidly and straightforwardly.
It’s hard to go against Islam. His fighting style is a tough one. He likes wrestling, he likes striking now. He’s falling in love with striking. So, it’s hard…
Max Holloway via UFC 308 post-fight presser
Max Holloway thinks Islam Makhachev will win against Ilia Topuria if that fight ever happens:
“It’s hard to go against Islam. His fighting style is a tough one.”#UFC #MMA #UFC308 pic.twitter.com/U1ZhlHpHWN
— FEDZ_MMA (@Fedzmma) October 26, 2024
In addition to his outstanding boxing, Topuria boasts an impressive ground game, though he hasn’t needed it in his title fights. Makhachev and Topuria have the skills to stand, trade, or grapple on the canvas. Dana White believes Topuria still has unfinished business in the featherweight division. However, fans eagerly anticipate a potential showdown between these two MMA powerhouses.
