Media Diego Lopes Disputes Notion That Ilia Topuria Lacked Challenges at Featherweight

[HHJ]

I'm really sick of guys going up in weight before clearing out their divisions.

But why?

Why does he HAVE to do that?

 

[HHJ]

Nuked the two best guys, everyone else would be a downgrade.

yup

 

[Morning Star]

Really doesn't matter much since he dropped the title. 155 is a bigger challenge anyway.

 

[nostradumbass]

Well yeah, obviously it wasn't lack of challenges any more than Leon Scott was out of challenges at WW after also beating old guys at the back end of their careers, but he doesn't want to cut the weight anymore and gave up the title, so you can't force the guy to stay in the division.

 

[TITS]

Yeah too bad we won't get to see Ilia knock this guy's mullet head into the back row. Hopefully Volk will get the job done.

 

[Poirierfan]

I'm really sick of guys going up in weight before clearing out their divisions.
Topuria should have moved up only if he had beaten Lopes & Movsar.

Also, if anything Islam should be challenging up at this point, especially with Arman not getting an immediate title shot.

If it was too hard for Ilia to make weight, then It was too hard. I'll take him at his word for now.

 

[bjjwar]

I'm really sick of guys going up in weight before clearing out their divisions.
Topuria should have moved up only if he had beaten Lopes & Movsar.

Also, if anything Islam should be challenging up at this point, especially with Arman not getting an immediate title shot.

I mostly agree with you in other situations, but Ilia was undefeated and dismantled the 2 best FW’s in the division. From that point on he could only have fought guys that are « arguably » worse and will have done nothing for his legacy. Maybe Movsar or Lopez will become greats in the future, but as of right now, neither one of them has built even close to any legacy as Volk or Max and would not be seen as some crazy good wins, compared to Islam.

 

[JustBleed69]

I mostly agree with you in other situations, but Ilia was undefeated and dismantled the 2 best FW’s in the division. From that point on he could only have fought guys that are « arguably » worse and will have done nothing for his legacy. Maybe Movsar or Lopez will become greats in the future, but as of right now, neither one of them has built even close to any legacy as Volk or Max and would not be seen as some crazy good wins, compared to Islam.

He's got bigger fights to make at 155 for sure, it's just frustrating because now he has no arguments to claim he's the best FW of all time at all. You gotta rack up title defenses to claim that kinda thing to build a legacy and defeat the upcoming number one contenders & he has totally removed himself from that equation.

 

[moreorless87]

But why?

Why does he HAVE to do that?

Indeed, if they vacate the belt I'v no issue with it.

As for the reasons I suspect its that LW has the bigger money fights and from what Topuria has said in the past he wants to retire fairly early, I'd guess his ideal career may have big fights for 3-4 years at LW then retire.

 

[JustBleed69]

If it was too hard for Ilia to make weight, then It was too hard. I'll take him at his word for now.

That's true, I just find it hard to believe the cut was all that hard.
He's not a very big Featherweight at all and has never looked that bad at the weigh ins.
I tend to believe he just wants bigger name fights.

 

[Poirierfan]

That's true, I just find it hard to believe the cut was all that hard.
He's not a very big Featherweight at all and has never looked that bad at the weigh ins.
I tend to believe he just wants bigger name fights.

Yeah, he sure is a small ass little FW,, weird.

 

[mkess101]

I agree. There was 2 legitimate challengers waiting and he bailed.

Meh, there will always be "legit challengers". He stays and beats those two and maybe in that time Zalal wins 2-3 more and looks impressive and then if Ilia move up he's ducking him.

As long as guys aren't trying to be in 2 weight classes at once, nobody should complain.

 

[Tweak896]

Idk. it was almost universally agreed how Volk and Max were the 2 highest level fighters in all the weightclasses really. They cleared out the FW division so long, they basically only fought each other. Topuria KO'd both back to back. It's hard to think anyone would give Topuria trouble on the feet after that slaughter.

Maybe Evoloev would test his grappling, but Topuria realizes that juice isn't worth the squeeze and it would sell like shit. LW is full of mostly old strikers with names. It makes sense career wise. He's going to have to test his grappling against Islam, which is a bigger test than anything at FW.

 

[Blastbeat]

Yeah I wish Ilia hung around featherweight for a bit longer. He has some great wins, but it would've been nice to see if he could've broke Volk's defense record. I would've liked to see him vs Diego, Movsar and Arnold Allen.
But at least he gave the belt up and isn't holding up the division.