Islam vs Topuria is stupid, makes no sense and will not happen (not anytime soon, at least)

[Rubios]

If Islam wins, the UFC loses possibly their most valuable "0" in Topuria.

If Topuria wins, the UFC would break the all-time longest winning streak (tied with AS) of Islam.


Islam should ask for Arman in Abu Dhabi, October. And fight someone in the meantime (Charles rematch? Gaethje/Hooker if the fight is not a total war so the winner is ready to fight by June? Gamrot?)

If he wins both, 155 is cleared, longest winning streak records is broken (he'd have 17 in a row) and THEN he could fight Topuria or move to 170 for a second belt.

Topuria has to fight Evloev, at least. And if anyone deserves a rematch (not meaning he'd win the belt back) @ 145 is Volk.

 

[Shaolin Alan]

If it isn't gonna happen, then why create a thread on it??

 

[Pious Augustus]

If it isn't gonna happen, then why create a thread on it??

explaining why

 

[mkt]

Is that fair, though? Doesn't Islam have the right to beat Aldo's title defenses against FWs and claim to be the FW GOAT one day? I'm thinking he needs to fight Volk once more and Max at least once, too.

 

[Conan the K-9]

If Islam wins, the UFC loses possibly their most valuable "0" in Topuria.

If Topuria wins, the UFC would break the all-time longest winning streak (tied with AS) of Islam.


Islam should ask for Arman in Abu Dhabi, October. And fight someone in the meantime (Charles rematch? Gaethje/Hooker if the fight is not a total war so the winner is ready to fight by June? Gamrot?)

If he wins both, 155 is cleared, longest winning streak records is broken (he'd have 17 in a row) and THEN he could fight Topuria or move to 170 for a second belt.

Topuria has to fight Evloev, at least. And if anyone deserves a rematch (not meaning he'd win the belt back) @ 145 is Volk.

Why not Arman in June?

 

[Luthien]

Arman doesn't deserve a TS

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

Topuria KO'ing Islam and the WW champ back-to-back is bigger than anything either of them will ever do.

 

[b00tysweat]

lol just lol at Arman getting a TS

He's on Dana's shit list, he's going to have to earn his way back

 

[Sean Chowdhury]

Topuria KO'ing Islam and the WW champ back-to-back is bigger than anything either of them will ever do.

why not ko ddp as well at that point?

 

[joy2day]

I'd be willing to bet Islam would take that fight before he would move up. He likes safe fights against smaller guys and late replacements.

 

[sdpdude9]

Agree, not the time for it. Topuria shouldn’t be moving up with multiple viable contenders in his division. 1 defense shouldn’t be near enough and I don’t see why this match up is even being discussed right now.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

why not ko ddp as well at that point?

I like DDP so Ilia doesn't have to fight him.

 

[JKS]

Islam has taken some heat for fighting a FW 2x. And it's clear that it got to him, he's never been too excited for this fight.

Fight Olivera then Arman if he wins his next fight. Perhaps Gaethje if he beats Hooker. He can also fight for WW at any point in between.

 

[Neck&Neck]

Let them cook bro
Fighters that worry about their records are corny (to the core)
Fighting the best comp should be all that matters

 

[Goatenstein]

MMA is a sport not pro wrestling.

 

[Chagaev]

Top vs Islam is an interesting fight right now. There's a good chance that Evloev grapples Topuria to a decision an ruins it.

 

[wrb]

Not sure who Top is but if Ilia can beat Evloev and Volk again also Arnold he can do what he wants. Merab earned the right to do what he wants and so did Islam but I hope Islam actually chooses a really hard opponent for his next fight, possibly someone in another weight class. Charles caused massive damage with his Islam rematch pullout and honestly because of this and all the illegal up-kicks he did against Arman I hope he never gets another shot at champ. Plus he is old. As a crazy Arman fan, I have no idea where the guys head is at as he is now calling out Charles and really shit the bed by pulling out against Islam fighting in the biggest Armenian hot spot in the USA with all the tools to finaly challenge Islam.

 

[sabretitan]

They need a super fight ts. Look at last year, ufc 300 and the sphere. This year has no hype just hypotheticals
My guess is they are confident jj won't fight so Islam and ilia makes sense

 

[Rubios]

UFC can't be (and won't be) THAT short-sighted.
Yes, a "super fight" sells a ton of PPV and makes lots of money today.

But there's a feeling that JJ's retirement will mean the end of the best generation of fighters the company has ever seen (GSP, AS, DC, DJ... you know).
A step below, legends such as Aldo, Khabib, Usman, Volk, Adesanya, Miocic, Holloway, Poirier... are either retired or a fight away from riding to the sunset.

The passing of the torch is going fairly well: Merab, Ilia, DDP, Poatan, Aspinall... but it would take time before any of these fighters achieve the same greatness than the names before them.

Then you have Islam, just two victories away from the longest winning streak of all-time.
And Ilia, the most exciting undefeated fighter in the company.

Powerful and non-manufactured narratives, history being made, makes way more money in the long term.
Because any subsequent Islam fight is one for the books, and a legend would enter the cage every time.

Risking Topuria or Makhachev in a super fight is in fact a lose/lose scenario for the UFC.

 

[Rubios]

lol just lol at Arman getting a TS

He's on Dana's shit list, he's going to have to earn his way back

Back to my point: Dana should know this is about Islam's legacy and cementing as the best LW to ever do it.
I believe he needs a proper win (not a late replacement in his UFC debut) against Arman, the #1 contender.

Islam should (and I think he will) ask for it, and UFC should make it happen.