Topuria shouldn't have moved up to the LW Shark tank

[shorinryu86]

We will find out if he's making the right decision.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

He's not ducking Evloev, the UFC has no interest in giving Evloev a title fight.

 

[Lee Danger]

Because his ego has become so huge that he has already abandoned his team

He was in Alicante, which is a very small town in the south of Spain, IIRC the nearest "big" town is Valencia which is small too: he clarely described his approch to training, doing things separately until the fight camp, and trust me that Madrid is a far better choice than Alicante.

it's scary how people are ready to judge things in a so shallow way, some of you watch too much telenovelas.

 

[Chagaev]

If he already has the money, why not challange himself where he's more comfortable making weght. It's better for his health too, unless he ends up trading punches for five rounds with Gaethje or something.

 

[Tweak896]

As a mma fan, it would've been amazing to see how he handles Evloev and Topuria. But you can't not see how easy LW is right now. Most the top 5 are 35 years old and like to strike with very low striking defense, not only that they are bigger names. So he'll probably make more money off of names like that than FW.

 

[RockyLockridge]

So he'll probably make more money off of names like that than FW.

Exactly, beating up charles will give him much more clout and money than beating up evloev. despite charles probably being even easier, same for gaethje, same with max...

 

[priester]

Premature thread

 

[don't ask]

He was in Alicante, which is a very small town in the south of Spain, IIRC the nearest "big" town is Valencia which is small too: he clarely described his approch to training, doing things separately until the fight camp, and trust me that Madrid is a far better choice than Alicante.

it's scary how people are ready to judge things in a so shallow way, some of you watch too much telenovelas.

If I couldn't be dramatic on the internet, I WOULD LITERALLY DIE

 

[Tweak896]

Exactly, beating up charles will give him much more clout and money than beating up evloev. despite charles probably being even easier, same for gaethje, same with max...

You even have people here saying how LW is a different ballgame and how huge these guys are with power. There is tons of crossover especially between FW and LW we've seen many times before, but people are purists and consider it completely separate. Honestly without Islam, Arman or Gamrot are going to be the only ones to test Topuria's ground game, and I'm pretty sure UFC is only giving him the biggest names at LW before that happens.

 

[Pilo]

I don't think it's a bad move at all, honestly. The guy is basically mimicking what McGregor did, but attempting to do it so incredibly much better:

He defended the title at 145 and KO'd the two greatest FWs of the current era, now he's moving up a weight class, will fight not just the former champ at 155, but one of the most dominant former champs of that shark tank, to actually DESERVE a title shot there, and get the chance to face and maybe beat another super dominant champ.

If he pulls that off, gets a title shot and wins the title at 155, people are gonna go "Conor Who?"

This is risky, but this could be absolute brilliance and greatness in the making, should he succeed.

 

[188912345]

He's not ducking Evloev, the UFC has no interest in giving Evloev a title fight.

Yeah, you could say he's ducking Yair..
Or the old Volk-rematch.

I'm also not buying the narrative that him eventually losing at LW would mean it was a mistake to try it, that's a very defeatist kind of mindset.

 

[RockyLockridge]

You even have people here saying how LW is a different ballgame and how huge these guys are with power. There is tons of crossover especially between FW and LW we've seen many times before

Last couple LW title fights

-Charles- Former FW
-Volk - FW
-Volk - FW
-Dustin - Former FW
-Moicano- Former FW
-Charles and Illa - Former FWs

Should tell you all you need to know about not only which division is better but how little it matters at this level

 

[Tweak896]

Last couple LW title fights

-Charles- Former FW
-Volk - FW
-Volk - FW
-Dustin - Former FW
-Moicano- Former FW
-Charles and Illa - Former FWs

Should tell you all you need to know about not only which division is better but how little it matters at this level

Exactly. We've seen guys like Conor, Frankie, Volk, Max move up and down. Yet some still say "Topuria hasn't beat an elite LW, so what he's done at FW doesn't count for LW". Just seems silly to me. Volk+Max at FW seems better wins than any LW right now. Even Arman basically has only beat Olivera and Dariush back to back and he probably has the best recent record. I'll eat my crow if Topuria start losing horribly at LW and has to move back down, but to me it seems like they are just made for his style.

 

[Bradillac]

Nah, LW is an extremely overrated division. He should be able to come in and hold the belt for a while. Volk and Max are better than every LW.

 

[TITS]

Because his ego has become so huge that he has already abandoned his team and he is past the point in his career where he wants to risk getting grapple fucked by someone with no name value that doesn't land him another title. Actually he already did this by gun and running to LW with only 1 FW defence.

No, I meant how come you're writing right here?

 

[Pilo]

Islam is in a different stratosphere to Gamrot.
He called out Islam very vocally.
I bet he would have fought Arman as well if it was for the vacant belt.

Gamrot is just one of those fights where nobody really looks good, it’s likely to be a wrestling heavy match, and that win just doesn’t guarantee a title shot.

I don’t see Topuria and Gamrot’s paths crossing, given that a) Gamrot is getting up there in age and b) I don’t think the UFC would be interested in making this fight happen. They need superstars, and Topuria is oozing with the necessary potential. Gamrot is very very skilled, but that fight just doesn’t isn’t very appealing.

 

[fandangler101]

He could have defended at FW for a long time now he'll have to fight guys like Gamrot, Arman, large grapplers who he'll want to duck like how he ducked Evloev at FW. And if he ever does win a title Islam will throw him out of the cage at WW.

If he says he can't make the weight, lets believe him. There are a ton of fights at Lightweight.

 

[188912345]

Gamrot is just one of those fights where nobody really looks good, it’s likely to be a wrestling heavy match, and that win just doesn’t guarantee a title shot.

I don’t see Topuria and Gamrot’s paths crossing, given that a) Gamrot is getting up there in age and b) I don’t think the UFC would be interested in making this fight happen. They need superstars, and Topuria is oozing with the necessary potential. Gamrot is very very skilled, but that fight just doesn’t isn’t very appealing.

I agree.
I also don't know what Gamrot has done recently to be in title contention, given that he lost to Hooker and Dariush.

He beat Fiziev by Fiziev getting a knee injury.
He beat Turner by split decision.
Arman is his best win and a majority had Arman winning that fight.

Looking at media scorecards, most of the media had Gamrot beating Hooker, but an even bigger majority had Arman beating Gamrot in their close fight.

That type of fighter (a lot of split decisions, low finishing rate) usually has to go on big winstreaks to get a titleshot.

 

[Meathead Jock]

Islam ducked gamrot too

No he didn't? When should he have fought him? October 2022 he would have been worthy but Charles was more worthy at that point. Then Gamrot lost. Gamrot was back to being the next guy up then got upset by Hooker.

At what point should Islam have fought Gamrot for the title? Gamrot just keeps coming inches from a title shot or the one time he earned it he lost to Darius losing it.

 

[RockyLockridge]

No he didn't? When should he have fought him? October 2022 he would have been worthy but Charles was more worthy at that point. Then Gamrot lost. Gamrot was back to being the next guy up then got upset by Hooker.

At what point should Islam have fought Gamrot for the title? Gamrot just keeps coming inches from a title shot or the one time he earned it he lost to Darius losing it.

when he was the official back up for his fight with charles? on weight and on location