If Diego and Jean Silva win by finish, it will be sad to see Ilia go

[TimeToTrain]

It would be sad to see Topuria leave the FW division without ever cleaning up the division.

Yes, finishing Volk and Max is super impressive but we have young bloods in the division that are as hungry. Ilia is young too, and that’s what we need to see.

Fighting Islam will be exciting too, but Islam has done his part by cleaning up his division. That is what Ilia has to prove. Volk cleaned up the division before fighting Islam and that was a valid reason.

 

[tritestill]

Yes, but Ilia claims he wants to retire young and be double champ. May honestly not be motivated by fighting FW challengers. The weight thing, not sure about, but after knocking out Volk and Max, could see him having mental let down for next opponent. 145 is such a good division right now.

 

[Qays Stetkevich]

Yes, but Ilia claims he wants to retire young and be double champ. May honestly not be motivated by fighting FW challengers. The weight thing, not sure about, but after knocking out Volk and Max, could see him having mental let down for next opponent. 145 is such a good division right now.

Machida say, for years, that he was going to retire at or by 30, and he's and honest, "honorable" guy. . . so I wouldn't put much stock into a rich insecure guy swearing he'll retire early. He'll only do that if he's too scared to lose his unbeaten streak, or if he starts to lose. But I honestly find it hard to see him quitting making tons of money when that's dangled in front of him. Who knows?

 

[Tweak896]

Very true, but I think Topuria realized the LWs have all the names for money fights and are getting old. Atleast he's a little better than Conor was by defending the FW title. Add Evloev to the list too, we haven't seen him get tested too hard grappling.

 

[Blastbeat]

Machida say, for years, that he was going to retire at or by 30, and he's and honest, "honorable" guy. . . so I wouldn't put much stock into a rich insecure guy swearing he'll retire early. He'll only do that if he's too scared to lose his unbeaten streak, or if he starts to lose. But I honestly find it hard to see him quitting making tons of money when that's dangled in front of him. Who knows?

so many fighters say they will retire by this date or this age or this that and the other
very few actually stick to that. only example i can think of is Cole Konrad

 

['Rocky']

Topuria is deceptively massive for FW.

 

[flektarn]

There were still a couple good fights at FW left for'em. Sucks.

 

[Bend NvR Break]

It would be sad to see Topuria leave the FW division without ever cleaning up the division.

Yes, finishing Volk and Max is super impressive but we have young bloods in the division that are as hungry. Ilia is young too, and that’s what we need to see.

Fighting Islam will be exciting too, but Islam has done his part by cleaning up his division. That is what Ilia has to prove. Volk cleaned up the division before fighting Islam and that was a valid reason.

Islam cleaned the division? For real?
He has 4 title defenses. 2 are against a FW. 1 is against a short notice opponent who absolutely wasn't ready for a TS. The other was against an on the downside of his career LW.

I'd like to see him fight Arman, Gaethje, run back oliveria and fight Illa.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

Ilia obliterated two of the very best in divisional history. Everyone else would be a step down, so he moved up. Time is short, and the time is now. UFC is big-time fumbling if they don't make Ilia vs Islam

 

[Bend NvR Break]

Ilia obliterated two of the very best in divisional history. Everyone else would be a step down, so he moved up. Time is short, and the time is now. UFC is big-time fumbling if they don't make Ilia vs Islam

Illa wants it. UFC wants it. Islam and his team don't want it.

 

[El Fernas]

2 are against a FW. 1 is against a short notice opponent who absolutely wasn't ready for a TS. The other was against an on the downside of his career LW.

I'd like to see him fight Arman, Gaethje, run back oliveria and fight Illa.

Illa wants it. UFC wants it. Islam and his team don't want it.

Well i can see why he wouldnt want it, no credit in beating FW´s.

 

[TimeToTrain]

Illa wants it. UFC wants it. Islam and his team don't want it.

People would rather see Islam be double champ at WW and LW than Topuria fight Islam for the title. The only stumbling block is Belal.

 

[Bend NvR Break]

Well i can see why he wouldnt want it, no credit in beating FW´s.

It's not that there's no credit in beating FW. I'm just dancing to the song Islam is playing. When he beat Volk then fighting the FW champ was fine and the challenger deserving. Now that a dangerous, young FW champ moves up to challenge Islam now Islam says he doesn't want to look like a bully fighting people from a smaller weight class.

Which is it? Either fighting Illa makes him a weight bully which undermines his 2 title defenses against Volk. Or being FW champ is qualification enough to fight the LW check thus beating Volk twice are quality wins and Illa is a deserving challenger. But he can't have it both ways.

 

[Egészségére!]

His goal is to build a brand name that could be worth $ billions not fight for paychecks & I can’t knock him for it but it does suck for us

 

[Skarsgard]

Illa wants it. UFC wants it. Islam and his team don't want it.

If the UFC wanted it, the fight would be happening. The UFC does what they want to do and the fighters obey.

 

[Islam Imamate]

Islam cleaned the division? For real?
He has 4 title defenses. 2 are against a FW. 1 is against a short notice opponent who absolutely wasn't ready for a TS. The other was against an on the downside of his career LW.

I'd like to see him fight Arman, Gaethje, run back oliveria and fight Illa.

Mostly agree except I think you're downplaying Moicano too much. He was on a four fight win streak with three finishes going into the Makhachev fight and he had a fight on the same card so he was in training camp. I actually thought Moicano was one of the more interesting fights for Islam given he has solid grappling and I still think that to some extent but with the way the fight went its kind of hard to make that case now haha.

 

[El Fernas]

It's not that there's no credit in beating FW. I'm just dancing to the song Islam is playing. When he beat Volk then fighting the FW champ was fine and the challenger deserving. Now that a dangerous, young FW champ moves up to challenge Islam now Islam says he doesn't want to look like a bully fighting people from a smaller weight class.

Which is it? Either fighting Illa makes him a weight bully which undermines his 2 title defenses against Volk. Or being FW champ is qualification enough to fight the LW check thus beating Volk twice are quality wins and Illa is a deserving challenger. But he can't have it both ways.

Then why you mention 2 of his defenses are against FW? Thats the thing, he beat him while Volk was #1 P4P, the rematch was a short notice, thats not on Makhachev, when you clarify that his defenses are against FW as something against him, then want the next FW guy to fight him, then what is it for you? I could see very well the point from the fighter in getting no credit cause he beat a smaller guy then he isnt interested in another small guy, cause is a lose lose situation, he wins, then he beat a FW, he loses, well, he got beat by a FW.

 

[Islam Imamate]

Then why you mention 2 of his defenses are against FW? Thats the thing, he beat him while Volk was #1 P4P, the rematch was a short notice, thats not on Makhachev, when you clarify that his defenses are against FW as something against him, then want the next FW guy to fight him, then what is it for you? I could see very well the point from the fighter in getting no credit cause he beat a smaller guy then he isnt interested in another small guy, cause is a lose lose situation, he wins, then he beat a FW, he loses, well, he got beat by a FW.

Its true that you can't blame Makhachev for the weird circumstances around some of his title fights but I think its fair to point out he's had an unusual run as champion in that despite having four defenses he hasn't really faced many of the division's top contenders outside of Oliveira and Moicano.

I think he walks through most of them but that's been said of many champions who have gone on to lose to fighters we least expected them to, that's why we gotta see the fights play out.

 

[EYEKICKFACES]

Islam cleaned the division? For real?
He has 4 title defenses. 2 are against a FW. 1 is against a short notice opponent who absolutely wasn't ready for a TS. The other was against an on the downside of his career LW.

I'd like to see him fight Arman, Gaethje, run back oliveria and fight Illa.

You're all over the place. He hasn't cleared the division but you want him to rematch 2 people he already beat? You say 2 of his defenses are against FW's and then you want him to fight another FW? You gotta make up your mind!

 

[Bend NvR Break]

Then why you mention 2 of his defenses are against FW? Thats the thing, he beat him while Volk was #1 P4P, the rematch was a short notice, thats not on Makhachev, when you clarify that his defenses are against FW as something against him, then want the next FW guy to fight him, then what is it for you? I could see very well the point from the fighter in getting no credit cause he beat a smaller guy then he isnt interested in another small guy, cause is a lose lose situation, he wins, then he beat a FW, he loses, well, he got beat by a FW.

Talking like the p4p rankings actually mean something gets you ignored. They are promotional tools used to manipulate the audience into caring more about whomever the UFC is trying to hype.