His move is ballsy, but Ilia is calculated

[Rubios]

Apparently, Ilia and his team believe -rightfully, IMO- that one of the main keys to his success is youth.
He's by far the youngest UFC champion, just turned 28.

Let's take a look at the 145 and 155 divisions.

Ilia & co know he has already beat (KO'ed, no less) the best 2 names @ 145. Evloev (31) and Lopes (30) are the new crop and up next.

155 looks like a shark tank because of the names in the ranking. But Charles is 35, Dustin & Justin are 36... and the next gen is still quite low in the ranks.

There's Arman (his same age, but probably back to the deck) & Islam... and then these legends that would look so good in his resume. Ilia is very strategic in fighting opponents just when they start falling off the cliff but still preserve their status.

Still, dropping the belt and asking for Islam @ 155 is a bold, ballsy all-in move.

 

[Qays Stetkevich]

Yeah, it's cool from a "business savvy" perspective, and kind of lame from an MMA fan perspective. So, I get why he's doing it, as A) he doesn't need to cut all that weight, and B), he'll be under-sized, but will have WAAAAAAAAAAY less mileage and is WAAAAAAAAAAY younger than a half-dozen legends that I think he can pretty easily mop the floor with, which will look fantastic on his resume.

That being said, I don't think he should or deserves to fight Islam first. Islam earned his belt the hard, long way, and is defending it. Meanwhile, Ilia got a much straighter, faster road to his belt, and isn't (trying to) defend it nearly as much.

All this being said, I'm not hating on him, as he vacated the belt like a man, and is taking a real risk. No belt to "fall back on" if he loses, and absolutely most importantly, he's not freezing the division he's leaving like that turd Conman did.

 

[Tweak896]

I think it's all about selling fights, at FW he already beat Volk and Max so bad no one really wants rematches, so it was either Evloev or Lopes left, which probably wouldn't sell.

At LW he has Islam. Dustin, Justin, Olivera, Chandler, and even a stupid fight like with Conor potentially (okay, maybe not but still maybe).

 

[TITS]

His balls are ballsy.

 

[joy2day]

Illia is doing what any smart fighter would do and take advantage of the best opportunities available.

The idea that he has fought people that were strategically just over the hill doesn't make a lot of sense given the timeline of his ascent, and the recency of his title.

Moving up to a weight class he is more suited for with better challenges does make sense.

If you watch all of his fights, you see that he dominated both the grappling and the striking in his fights. He's a good match for anyone at LW, Islam included.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

Islam would demand an instant title shot if he moved up, so it makes sense that Ilia gets the same courtesy.

 

[El Fernas]

I usually dont mind champ vs champ fights, but in this case, well, he is now a "former" champion, even if he never lost it, also Islam Makhachev already beat the guy Topuria beat to get te belt, twice, in this case feels like the LW champion is only fighting FW guys, i would love to see him test against a top 5 guy first, i would love Poirier vs Topuria to happen, Oliveira, before getting the title fight.

 

[Gabe]

Weight cut must have been brutal. If he’s getting paid the same then whatever.

 

[PeterGriffin]

He's beaten Max and Volk, and LW favors his style. Ilia's confident in his hands and power, and all the fights he wants are at 155lbs. I respect vacating the belt and letting the division move on, and it's refreshing to see moves like that given the whole . Ilia wants to trade with the other LW bangers, and I'm okay with that. If he wants the names instead of the titles, that's good enough for me.

Ilia 100% wants the Conor fight while there is still a chance, and despite the fact Conor's a gigantic fuckknuckle, he's still the biggest draw the UFC can muster. I don't agree with Ilia walking straight into a LW title shot and it doesn't seem like Islam had any say in the matter, but it is what it is.

 

[moreorless87]

Apparently, Ilia and his team believe -rightfully, IMO- that one of the main keys to his success is youth.
He's by far the youngest UFC champion, just turned 28.

Let's take a look at the 145 and 155 divisions.

Ilia & co know he has already beat (KO'ed, no less) the best 2 names @ 145. Evloev (31) and Lopes (30) are the new crop and up next.

155 looks like a shark tank because of the names in the ranking. But Charles is 35, Dustin & Justin are 36... and the next gen is still quite low in the ranks.

There's Arman (his same age, but probably back to the deck) & Islam... and then these legends that would look so good in his resume. Ilia is very strategic in fighting opponents just when they start falling off the cliff but still preserve their status.

Still, dropping the belt and asking for Islam @ 155 is a bold, ballsy all-in move.

I suspect the bigger issue is probably that because LW has the more well established older names its also a division were the earning potential is greater.

At 145 as you say he's just had the two "big" fights, he could rematch them but honestly I think winning via KO like that means theres not a great deal of hype for that, after guys like Aldo and Max lost the belts there was a lot of talk of rematches here, almost no talk/hype for rematches for Topuria.

Besides those fights its a division with potential but most of the guys in it are on the rise, credible opponents but not big draws.

My guess would be you put Topuria vs Dustin, Charles or Justin in a 155lb title eliminator and that would be a bigger PPV main event than any title fight he could have at 145lbs even with no title(I spose BMF could be hyped? is he technically "champ") involved.

 

[Chagaev]

The guys Ilia fought lost, so of course they were suddenly out of their prime.

 

[hbombbisping]

Islam would demand an instant title shot if he moved up, so it makes sense that Ilia gets the same courtesy.

Islam has 4 title defences, Illia has 1

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

Islam has 4 title defences, Illia has 1

Ilia KO'ed two GOAT candidates in a row

 

[hbombbisping]

Ilia KO'ed two GOAT candidates in a row

One of them being Max Holloway who Islam would crush and the other being Volk who was coming fresh off getting head kick KO'ed by Islam

 

[Sean Chowdhury]

Ilia KO'ed two GOAT candidates in a row

goat candidates? Max is a goat candidate now

 

[goOb]

goat candidates? Max is a goat candidate now

Max is likely going down as a HOF fighter, who is a 2x champ + BMF and has some impressive wins over very game fighters through the course of his career. He is arguably one the best boxers the UFC has seen in a while. His clinic over Brian Ortega (when Ortega was on a serious run) was incredible... finishing Gaethje when all he had to do was dance to a decision victory, beat a young Charles Olivera.... He's a goat candidate IMO.

 

[Sean Chowdhury]

Max is likely going down as a HOF fighter, who is a 2x champ + BMF and has some impressive wins over very game fighters through the course of his career. He is arguably one the best boxers the UFC has seen in a while. His clinic over Brian Ortega (when Ortega was on a serious run) was incredible... finishing Gaethje when all he had to do was dance to a decision victory, beat a young Charles Olivera.... He's a goat candidate IMO.

He's a great fighter and the 3rd greatest FW of all time, but when you think of goat candidates you think of someone like volk(who beat max 3 times) or someone like GSP. Max has too many losses in his prime to be a goat candidate imo

 

[RichardHarrow]

Ilia KO'ed two GOAT candidates in a row

lol

 

[MixMartialFarts]

The thing I don't get is I thought champions get "PPV points" and therefore make a lot more than non-champions. If he's not getting an instant title shot at 155 would he not be making way less? I am assuming this was worked into whatever deal his management talked to UFC about before moving up. He doesn't looks that big, I don't buy that 145 is too hard for him to make, and Islam is huge. If the smarter business move is to make more money, you have to think the bigger easier pay cheques were at 145. Props to him either way, balls the size of grapefruits on that guy.

 

[jeff7b9]

Max is likely going down as a HOF fighter, who is a 2x champ + BMF and has some impressive wins over very game fighters through the course of his career. He is arguably one the best boxers the UFC has seen in a while. His clinic over Brian Ortega (when Ortega was on a serious run) was incredible... finishing Gaethje when all he had to do was dance to a decision victory, beat a young Charles Olivera.... He's a goat candidate IMO.

I'm confused by your "2x champ + BMF" statement.

Please explain.

What is the 2nd time? Aka 2nd reign