Hot take: If Topuria runs through Max (big if), he's a problem for Islam stylisticially

[xhaydenx]

Topuria has better grappling than Dustin? Does Ilia have more power than Dustin?
Literally zero evidence of either

Topuria would ragdoll Dustin lol.

And as for power, well when Topuria came up to LW on short notice that one time, he delivered a bigger KO than Dustin ever has in the division.

Matter of fact, Topuria might just have the best KO in LW history.

 

[xhaydenx]

Can a guy defend a title a handful of times before we call for him to go up a weight class? Got damn does the Heavies fucking stink lately.

he's basically already cleaned out the division tho

 

[Rubios]

You are still trying to downplay your countryman, its strange how that works, kind of envy induced anti bias?

I don't get why I should root for a guy just for being my countryman, even if he lived in my same town or even my street.
I don't like the guy (I do like the fighter) and I find Islam funny.
I couldn't care less about politics or religion.

Like many regular people, I don't envy any celebrity. Being famous would be a nightmare for most of us, and for me at least.

But, hey, I like Dustin, Justin, Charles, Max or Volk more than Islam. And none of them stand a chance against him IMO (meaning, if they fought 10 times, Islam would soundly beat all of them most of the times).
And I think Islam won Volk #1.

 

[TheMMAnalyst]

Topuria would ragdoll Dustin lol.

And as for power, well when Topuria came up to LW on short notice that one time, he delivered a bigger KO than Dustin ever has in the division.

Matter of fact, Topuria might just have the best KO in LW history.

Topuria has 9 career UFC takedowns - 5 against Zalal in his UFC debut (unranked, green non-wrestler) and 3 against Emmett in round 5 after he already boxed his face off.

He hasn’t proven he can out wrestle bigger elite wrestlers at all, you guys are riding him way too hard.

His KO against Herbert was dope….right after he ate a head-kicked that almost killed him and had him panicking. All-time best LW KO against an unranked and mid-level kickboxer? It was definitely incredibly savage and a KO I love, but level of competition matters and what happened in the fight before the KO matters.

Let’s cut the hyperbole - again, he’s a great fighter that is proven elite at FW, but he hasn’t shown he’s some powerhouse wrestler that can overwhelm bigger, stronger better fighters.

Claiming that he can ragdoll Dustin and has a better LW KO is a bold claim on the former and an obscene exaggeration in the latter.

 

[Chayanne]

Topuria loses 20 pounds, if he go to fight. so he can easily go up.

 

[xhaydenx]

Topuria has 9 career UFC takedowns - 5 against Zalal in his UFC debut (unranked, green non-wrestler) and 3 against Emmett in round 5 after he already boxed his face off.

He hasn’t proven he can out wrestle bigger elite wrestlers at all, you guys are riding him way too hard.

His KO against Herbert was dope….right after he ate a head-kicked that almost killed him and had him panicking. All-time best LW KO against an unranked and mid-level kickboxer? It was definitely incredibly savage and a KO I love, but level of competition matters and what happened in the fight before the KO matters.

Let’s cut the hyperbole - again, he’s a great fighter that is proven elite at FW, but he hasn’t shown he’s some powerhouse wrestler that can overwhelm bigger, stronger better fighters.

Claiming that he can ragdoll Dustin and has a better LW KO is a bold claim on the former and an obscene exaggeration in the latter.

Brother, I just love that your name is TheMManalyst, and that whenever I post some dumb ass half joke-half bait comment there's a good 70% chance of you coming in and breaking it down like I was dead serious.

That's not a knock on you either. I do like your posts a lot haha.

 

[Koala]

What happened against Jai Herbert?

Jai got absolutely fucking stiffened at 155.

Jai dieded.

That being said, Islam is massive for LW. Think he would outsize Topuria badly. Still would like to see them fight though! Who knows what could happen? Volk put in a good showing first time around…

Sherdog would be absolutely mental if Topuria beats Max and then Islam! That would be so funny!

Topuria struggled the whole first round before finding a way to close distance
He lost a round to Jai Herbert who is a middle-of-the-pack LW, Dan Hardy lost his job screaming to Herb Dean to save Jai Herbert's life in a fight against Trinaldo

 

[DoubleTrouble]

Islam is amazing but he's chinny and his top control is nowhere near Khabib. He struggled to keep Dustin and Volk down. Topuria is a very techincal striker with massive power and has much better grappling than Dustin.

I think Usman Nurmagamedov from Bellator (range and high level kicks to outpoint Illia from a distance) and Khabib would handle Topuria, but Islam may be in for a rough night.

KO'ing midgets is no barometer for success against LW's.

Ask Conor...

Islam will headkick KO Ilia back to the Caucasus.

 

[TheMMAnalyst]

Brother, I just love that your name is TheMManalyst, and that whenever I post some dumb ass half joke-half bait comment there's a good 70% chance of you coming in and breaking it down like I was dead serious.

That's not a knock on you either. I do like your posts a lot haha.

My sarcasm perception levels are pretty bad when I wake up at 3am, now that I re-read your post I definitely see it lol.

My bad.

<[analyzed}>

 

[HeadKickerV2]

Dont think it will happen, Islam said he will go for 170 belt next.

 

[Trabaho]

He is small Islam would just grab him and hold him down and sub or punch him out on the ground. he is too strong.

 

[RockyLockridge]

Topuria has better grappling than Dustin? Does Ilia have more power than Dustin?
Literally zero evidence of either
On the other hand Islam has power and his grappling is perhaps the best in the division even after Khabib

Yes he has better both.

Dustin doesn't have a single one punch KO.

 

[MrBlackheart]

Topuria knocks fuck out of islam

Haters will say this before the fight. But after the fight they’ll say “Islam beat another FW”. It never ends.

 

[Alpha_T83]

If they were the same size, I'd actually agree with you. MMA is a bit of rock paper scissors with styles. Kicks tend to get you taken down, which is why we saw O'Malley throw so few kicks against Merab. But unfortunately that allows grapplers to take a big weapon away from most MMA strikers. On the contrary, those more "pure boxers" with good takedown defense tend to be a real problem for grapplers like Merab and Islam, but they rarely get to that level because the kickboxers usually destroy the boxers on the way up.

Topuria definitely has the style to beat Islam, but I think he's just too small.

 

[Goatenstein]

Islam already lost to Volk, so it's possible.

Damn, that's a long time to be crying over Volk LOSING.

 

[octagonation]

As much of a shill as this makes me, I wish they’d let Top fight Max at 155 for the 145lb belt, with the winner getting a crack at Islam.

Dat 155lb JG fight max was a true 155er

I think Ilia has one more fight back in the FW division before chellenging Mackhachev.

If he beats winner of Sterling and Movsar he definitely deserves the Islam fight. But he needs to beat the winner of that fight to earn the chance to fight Islam besides Islam is gonna fight Arman so Topuria can´t wait a year for Islam hence he needs to get a winner over either Sterling or Movsar whomever wins in that bout.

Besides this Holloway fight is a gimme fight set up for him by Dana and the UFC match-makers and you can call it sort of a gift

 

[BangBang]

Dagestan is shaking.

 

[humdizzle]

islam would wash him in the indian ocean

 

[Rubios]

Besides this Holloway fight is a gimme fight set up for him by Dana and the UFC match-makers and you can call it sort of a gift

How is the guy that just beat JG 4-1 (let's even forget about the KO) a "gift".

 

[haj02]

I had a dream last night Topuria knocked Holloway out similar to how Holloway did to Justin, I'd bet the house on Topuria if I was a betting man.