The mixed martial arts world was set ablaze when it was divulged that Ilia Topuria had relinquished his featherweight crown, amidst issues with sustaining the 145-pound weight bracket. At present, it appears he has his designs on the lightweight title, and possibly a showdown with eminent competitor Islam Makhachev. Interestingly enough, both combatants harbor the aspiration of transitioning to more significant weight classes to become double-division champions. But notably, UFC lightweight luminary Dustin Poirier proposes that competing in an elevated weight division will propose a formidable test for both fighters.
A rational ascent would be for them to aim for the welterweight division, however, Islam Makhachev has sidestepped this potentiality, to circumvent any friction with his comrade in combat, Belal Muhammad. Instead, Makhachev has left breadcrumbs indicating his interest in the middleweight arena. Yet, Poirier is of the assessment that the 170-pound bracket would be an apposite fit for Makhachev, but he thinks a leap to 185 pounds could be a bridge too far.
With regards to Ilia Topuria, he has elected to forgo the featherweight championship as he seeks to pursue the 155-pound title, presumably eyeing a brawl with Makhachev. Even in the face of his impressive victories over the likes of Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, Poirier is doubtful of Topuria’s potential performance in the lightweight category.
Sharing his perspective with renowned interview host Helen Yee, Poirier expressed, ‘I envision him faring considerably well at 170 [pounds], at 185, the adversaries are just too formidable. Islam’s a stalwart contender. He can compete in the 170 division without a doubt. I even foresee him garnering the championship at 170, though I must say, at 185, it’s a tad ambitious’. And in his words regarding Topuria, the ‘Diamond’ admitted, ‘Islam’s striking abilities have seen a significant uptick lately; he’s kind of nimble and elusive. Based on my personal encounter, he opts for an atypical striking range. The size discrepancy might just be too sizable [for Topuria], I fear.’
Joe Rogan, prominent MMA podcast host, has stimulated the discussion surrounding a prospective confrontation between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria. He strongly encourages the featherweight icon to graduate to the 155-pound classification. Both fighters rank highly in the UFC’s rankings and their regular online interactions continue to fan the flames of anticipation for a soon-to-be duel.
Currently, with Topuria definitively surrendering his featherweight title, the likelihood of Rogan’s fantasy bout coming to fruition has substantially increased. During his UFC 312 Fight Companion podcast, Rogan suggested, ‘It might sound off the wall, but I sincerely hope Ilia advances to [155 pounds]. I earnestly do.’
His pitch further detailed, ‘[Alexander] Volkanovski – Diego Lopes [at] 145, Ilia escalates to 55. It doesn’t matter if he only defended the title once, or not at all, trivialities. Let’s get the ball rolling. Let’s go.’ Rogan’s argument hinged on the idea that Topuria doesn’t need to accumulate numerous title defenses before progressing, with the focus being on setting up the clash with Makhachev as the primary objective, superseding any obligation to linger in the featherweight category.