Do Topuria fans really think he's going to beat Islam at WW or anyone at the top of WW?

[Aurelian]

Let's pump the breaks. Islam still needs to win the WW title or were going to see Islam vs Ilia at LW in Islam's return fight.

 

[Neck&Neck]

He’s not really serious about the moving to WW
He just wants Islam

 

[jeff7b9]

Ilia's for real and all, but he wouldn't last long at welterweight. All those guys are so much bigger than him. Usman would muscle him around, no doubt. Belal probably drowns him in a boring decision. Even Leon in his current state might pick him apart with the height and reach advantage. The only top 10 guy i'd maybe feel comfortable picking him against would be Colby, who arguably shouldn't even be there anymore.

MVP would also be a horrible matchup.

He is not trying to "last long" he is trying make a shit ton of money really quickly and seems to be pretty career minded when deciding which matchups to pursue.

Notice how he isn't interested in Armen Tsarukian.

Ilia is following the Conor play book pretty damn closely.

The Conor playback for fighting at WW is to fight LWs at WW.
Which is what Ilia is trying to do.

He is gonna try to get


Gaetheje for title defense end of year. Nov-Dec

Paddy fight Armen for #1 contender

Then Ilia will push HARD to fight the winner of Islam (LW @WW) vs JDM (Striker)

 

[GordoBarraBJJ]

He's the current "it' boy and his "fans" are prone to Hyperbole.

Any legit sized WW mauls this manlet and smacks his ass back to the boondocks.

 

[mkt]

Illa is good enough to beat Islam, belal, usman, Buckley and edwards.
He'd need some luck to beat garry and JDM
He'd have a very hard time with morales, shavkat and brady

I don't know about Buckley unless Ilia goes D1. Buckley's TDD looked pretty awful vs. Usman but he's a former MW who hits at least as hard as Ilia. He's also not an older, high-mileage fighter like Ilia's last 4 opponents. Even MVP would be interesting. He's older, but his technical yet unorthodox striking and ability to keep distance would be very differen than a midget like Volk.

 

[mkt]

He is not trying to "last long" he is trying make a shit ton of money really quickly and seems to be pretty career minded when deciding which matchups to pursue.

Notice how he isn't interested in Armen Tsarukian.

Ilia is following the Conor play book pretty damn closely.

The Conor playback for fighting at WW is to fight LWs at WW.
Which is what Ilia is trying to do.

He is gonna try to get


Gaetheje for title defense end of year. Nov-Dec

Paddy fight Armen for #1 contender

Then Ilia will push HARD to fight the winner of Islam (LW @WW) vs JDM (Striker)

Gaethje would be a complete waste of a fight. We already know Ilia can beat hittable 35+ year old guys with a lot of wear like Emmett, Charles, Volk, etc.

 

[Like a fiddle]

He is not trying to "last long" he is trying make a shit ton of money really quickly and seems to be pretty career minded when deciding which matchups to pursue.

Notice how he isn't interested in Armen Tsarukian.

Ilia is following the Conor play book pretty damn closely.

The Conor playback for fighting at WW is to fight LWs at WW.
Which is what Ilia is trying to do.

He is gonna try to get


Gaetheje for title defense end of year. Nov-Dec

Paddy fight Armen for #1 contender

Then Ilia will push HARD to fight the winner of Islam (LW @WW) vs JDM (Striker)

Well yeah, cherry picking at those heavier weight classes would be wise. You suggested he could beat most of the welterweight top 10 though, and I completely disagree.

 

[SuperNerd]

I still wanna see him try

/thread

 

[jeff7b9]

Well yeah, cherry picking at those heavier weight classes would be wise. You suggested he could beat most of the welterweight top 10 though, and I completely disagree.

Where did I say that?

Quote me.

 

[Like a fiddle]

Perhaps you have not noticed but Ilia is insanely skilled as a fighter.

His last 3 opponents have 15 UFC title fight wins between them and none of them survived long enough to hear the round 2 bell.

__________


These are the guys at the top of WW, with presumably Islam joining this list soon. Of these guys I'd say Shavkat is a bad matchup,

Vs old guys would confidently pick Ilia by KO-
Belal, Leon, Usman, which is currently half of the top 6.

View attachment 1105700

Said you'd confidently pick Ilia to not just beat, but KO 3 guys in the welterweight top 6. Then listed the rankings.

If he can KO Usman, Belal, and Leon, that at least suggests he could beat most of the top 10. That's just 2 short of the better half of the top 10

 

[Rio Ferdinand]

I would love to see the fight happen.

Topuria isn't afraid to move up the weight classes. Not alot of people can say that.

Just wish he wouldn't run from Arman though lol. Fight Arman. Then Islam.

 

[jeff7b9]

Said you'd confidently pick Ilia to not just beat, but KO 3 guys in the welterweight top 6. Then listed the rankings.

If he can KO Usman, Belal, and Leon, that at least suggests he could beat most of the top 10. That's just 2 short of the better half of the top 10

Nope.
That's not how words or language work.

Words mean what they mean.

Anything YOU assume or guess or speculate is on you.

 

[Like a fiddle]

Nope.
That's not how words or language work.

Words mean what they mean.

Anything YOU assume or guess or speculate is on you.

So he KOs Usman, Belal, and Leon. But you don't like him all that much against JDM, Brady, Garry, Morales, Buckley, Colby, or Neal.

Keep in mind you also only pointed out Shavkat as the one matchup you don't like for Ilia at WW

 

[jeff7b9]

So he KOs Usman, Belal, and Leon. But you don't like him all that much against JDM, Brady, Garry, Morales, Buckley, Colby, or Neal.

Keep in mind you also only pointed out Shavkat as the one matchup you don't like for Ilia at WW

All of this is irrelevant, but along with your prior replies to me it does serve to encapsulate the flawed logic in this thread,.much of this flawed logic being yours

Ilia is not "going to WW to climb the ladder and fight his way thru the rankings" as such, how he would or wouldn't do in matchups which will never happen is of no practical value.

There are a handful of names who are in the vicinity of the title and those are the only people he may ever actually face at WW.

3 of them are aging former champs, and we know the UFC loves to book former champs in title eliminators, interim title fights or vacant title fights.

Additionally we have Islam which is who the entirety of Ilias interest in WW is based, which I have already covered in my "Conor playbook" post.

 

[JKS]

Likely ?? I dont' think so, I favor Islam. But when you punch as hard and accurate as Ilia, and you have that speed, it could be lights out for anyone.

But before getting ahead here, I'd how to see how his power holds up at WW. At LW I knew it would cause we saw it already, he KOd someone stiff. But WW we haven't seen and its 15 lbs extra in size. It's different punching guys that are that much bigger like Shavakat.

 

[Rubios]

No.
But he has the "narrative" on his side, and is smart to exploit it.

 

[Luffy]

It'd be a very, very good fight. But yeah I got Topuria by the slightest margin. How it unfolds idk, but to me it's 51/49 for Topuria. Makhachev said he'd go back to lightweight to reclaim his belt, so I guess maybe (likely, actually) that would happen at lightweight. Topuria isn't gonna leave lightweight. But the problem is, Makhachev will need to fight that dude, what is it again, oh Shavkat Rakhmonov.... Shavkat Rakhmonov definitely beats Makhachev to me. That'd be more like a 60/40 for Shavkat or 55/45... A 4:1 UD sort of domination imo

Honestly I got Topuria and Islam Makhachev at lightweight as 50/50. Coin flip.

 

[Rubios]

Since GSP left, LW became the division regarded as the toughest one.
Now, WW is the shark tank and LW is undergoing a transition yet to happen.
Ilia is smart and will stay at LW, but will also fuel the talk of Islam ducking him.
And being a "company man" ignoring Arman.

Dana should book Arman vs Ilia but his 1st defense will most likely be against JG.

 

[Luffy]

Islam said he'll fight 3x at WW, so he will face Shavkat no matter what... That isn't going well for Islam IMO.

 

[Rubios]

Guy is willing to go UP in weight and be a three division champ ... I'll allow it.

No, he's not. But he has the legitimacy to suggest he would.