Rewatch Ilia Topuria at 155

[nonoob]

Hope Max and his team are making the right decision but as a fan, I'm nervous I gotta say.

Was convinced Justin would punish and retire Max, glad I was wrong.

Top will, IMHO, have his First Real Competitive Fight against Max.

NO Slam to Volk, a great Champion...but Volk's coach and team should have Nixed TF outta what they KNEW was a way-too-soon return timeline for the Ilia fight - before it Was Ever Even Allowed To Be Scheduled.

 

[Subline]

I think Islam/Charles could probably sub him, Arman/Gamrot could probably wrestle him to a decision too. He would have some fun striking matches with any of the strikers in the top 10 though, and definitely has a chance at beating any of them.

 

[KillerIsBack V2]

Just rewatched this banger.
Topuria fought a LW on a week or 2 weeks notice and sent him into oblivion. Now i'm not an expert but I think he struggled with Jai's length and size before getting the finish.
He was forced to take more shots in order to return fire and he looked hurt every time Jai was landing.
What happens as he moves up the rankings and fights the elite 155ers?
I'm not even saying 155 is out of the question for him, but if he can still safely make 145, I'd say try to be a contender there first and then move up down the line.

We have to take into consideration size ratio or it’ll just be out of context.

Jai is one of the largest fighters in LW history, if not the largest. Even nate is smaller, shorter, and lesser reach and he was comfortable at WW.

Compare that to rising Topuria who was small enough to make BW once (though drained his soul and missed weight the second time).

Jai does have stronger pop in his strikes than Nate with a bunch of first round KOs.

This is something you need a full camp for, especially for a young fighter.

Imagine if Conor was the one taking the last minute notice against Nate, when in reality it was the other way around and ended badly.

But to answer your question, yes, he would do much better now at LW as he has improved very noticeably.

A lot of people talked shit about the Volk win cause it was too close to the Islam loses, so the Max fight will shut a lot of mouthes.

 

[StonedLemur]

He sure strings nice combos together

Its like the punches just get stronger the more he sequences them together

This Max fight will be fucking NUTS!

Its like he starts the combo light and ends heavy.
The combos are fluid and seem effortless.

Reminds of John Lineker with less load up the way he goes to the body and back to the head.

 

[Ser das Trevas]

There has never been a champion who was able to move up and dominate the fighters in the next highest weight class. They have won the title, but it doesn't last long. Cejudo might have been able to squeeze out a couple more wins but he chose to retire instead.

Poatan is doing this.

 

[The Blue Bird]

IT is the future GOAT

 

[blaseblase]

Poatan is doing this.

Ankalaev says hello.

 

[HolmeZy55]

Poatan is doing this.

Poatan was a natural LHW though, shit the guy is so big he could probably move up again.

Top is a tiny little manlet, will struggle at 55 against the upper echelon.

 

[Nausicaa]

Topuria is a G and will probably be the first person to TKO Max

 

[OldBoy91]

I don't take too much from Topuria struggling against Herbert.

If Jai had a chin he would be a problem at 155.

 

[CasualBot]

So... he's the new Cody Garbrandt



Let's see how this pans out.

 

[CasualBot]

But this also happened in the same fight:

I think this Max fight is going to be crazy good and in reality both have so much on the line. This is Max's last chance at a title and Ilia's first defended title after a shitload of weird trash talk that started before Max vs Justin.
Max has a good weight cut but Iilia is not Tom so if he does this is going to be a banger !

Beautiful kick counter.

Fuck Cody Topuria.

War Max.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

Yeah, wrecked Volk with a 4 piece? Pretty sure he slumped Damon Jackson with a 5 piece. He's got some of the best combination punching in MMA. Which is a sad thing to say, unless you're a long outside fighter who liked working behind your jabs and intercepting crosses, you need to have combination skills...each punch compliments the other, they're tools, they're quite literally combinations just like you need multiple correct numbers in order to crack a safe.

He has very adequate weight transfer and has very heavy, clubbing type power on top of a very good chin. He ll get cracked eventually as most pocket combo fighters do but he ll give hell to most until then.

 

[Kaiokenrye24]

Just rewatched this banger.
Topuria fought a LW on a week or 2 weeks notice and sent him into oblivion. Now i'm not an expert but I think he struggled with Jai's length and size before getting the finish.
He was forced to take more shots in order to return fire and he looked hurt every time Jai was landing.
What happens as he moves up the rankings and fights the elite 155ers?
I'm not even saying 155 is out of the question for him, but if he can still safely make 145, I'd say try to be a contender there first and then move up down the line.

Jai is a monster LW and a talented striker even if he’s not a contender

 

[OnMicMMA]

Well Topuria is short. One thing Volk made me realize is size matters less to shorter fighter. A guy who is tall is really gunna feel the striking difference. Max is tough but notice his second trip to LW had a real focus on not being hit as its hard to win a fight if shots are rag dolling you.

Islam would just use a style closer to what Umar does. In kicking range, or grappling. Never the boxing range. And due to his size I think he would be the one dictating what range the fight is taking place.

No one else is well rounded enough to control the range and will get kod. Maybe Charles chins him. That's about it.

 

[Clark Rogers]

and sent him into bolivion.

Fixed

 

[Mammothman]

I really think this fight is all wrong for Max. I'm well aware I could end up eating my words on this one, but for him to look that good at 155 against Gaethje (he could have gotten almost anyone he wanted at LW)
only to return and make that 145 cut against a prime Ilia for a belt he already had and defended feels like a lose lose unless he just dog walks Topuria.

Roy Jones Jr. came back down to fight Tarver after winning a piece of the HW belt against John Ruiz, and he scraped by AT in the first bout, but then Tarver knocked him out cold in their rematch.

Moving back down when you have plenty of other options just seems extremely risky for Max, he's there to be hit and Ilia has the goods to put him away I believe.

Hope Max and his team are making the right decision but as a fan, I'm nervous I gotta say.

If Max gets dusted my Ilia I want him to commit fully at LW.

He is finally filling his frame as a LW.

But yeah, that FW cut is tough especially after properly moving to LW, hopefully we are wrong.

 

[Rubios]

I really think this fight is all wrong for Max. I'm well aware I could end up eating my words on this one, but for him to look that good at 155 against Gaethje (he could have gotten almost anyone he wanted at LW)
only to return and make that 145 cut against a prime Ilia for a belt he already had and defended feels like a lose lose unless he just dog walks Topuria.

Roy Jones Jr. came back down to fight Tarver after winning a piece of the HW belt against John Ruiz, and he scraped by AT in the first bout, but then Tarver knocked him out cold in their rematch.

Moving back down when you have plenty of other options just seems extremely risky for Max, he's there to be hit and Ilia has the goods to put him away I believe.

Hope Max and his team are making the right decision but as a fan, I'm nervous I gotta say.

Max knows he can't handle Islam, but believes he is a better fighter than Ilia.
Makes total sense to me.

It's hard to cut back again to 145, but he has good chances of getting the belt back and move to 155 once DP, Charles and JG retire.
Too crowded at the top currently.

Max vs DP as the farewell fight for Dustin would be nuts, though.

 

[Rubios]

Jai is a monster LW and a talented striker even if he’s not a contender

Proof of having a chin, great comeback and beautiful finish.

But Jai isn't just a contender. He is unranked.

 

[biscuitsbrah]

What’s most impressive is how his power carried and he knocked jai dead