Would Islam Defend Against Shavkat?

[LeBron]

Let’s say Belal loses this weekend and Islam moves up and beats JDM (not saying he would win that fight). Would he defend against Shavkat or take his next fight at LW and hope someone takes him out?

 

[Why did you]

No because it would increase his losses to 2

 

[Captain Insano]

Yes. Dumb question.

 

[Hotora86]

would he tho?

 

[TheNewGame]

He's going to be 34 soon and already has a rough weight cut to make LW. So assuming he bulks up even more for the WW title fight, I have a hard time seeing him going back down to LW.

I'd wager he'd stay at WW and fight Shavkat or retire.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

Probably not. Some BS will come up like it always does and he'll either move back down or go up to MW

 

[Alpha_T83]

I don't see why not unless I'm missing something here?

I don't get all the Islam Makhachev hate. It's stupid Topuria fans that are salty and think Topuria deserves an immediate title shot. He doesn't. He should be fighting a #1 contender fight.

Islam can defend against Topuria later this year after Topuria fights Oliveira @ UFC 317, which the UFC will probably make an interim title just to make Topuria happy.

 

[Conan the K-9]

In case he would somehow win the WW belt, he would retire and claim to be the greatest fighter of all time and all similar type of silly unproven shit.

 

[15089371]

If his intentions would be to move to 170 permanently then yeah. Shavkat is a tough fight, but I don't see Islam changing his plans for him, or anyone at 170 (out of threat), if he means to make a permanent move. That might be in the books for him, he is on the bigger side of 155 and skillwise can hang with anyone at 170.

 

[LeBron]

I don't see why not unless I'm missing something here?

I don't get all the Islam Makhachev hate. It's stupid Topuria fans that are salty and think Topuria deserves an immediate title shot. He doesn't. He should be fighting a #1 contender fight.

Islam can defend against Topuria later this year after Topuria fights Oliveira @ UFC 317, which the UFC will probably make an interim title just to make Topuria happy.

Ilia deserves the title shot more than anyone not named Arman lol. I’m not an Islam hater but he should have taken the Topuria fight rather than wait around for this weekend like a cuck. He could have beat Ilia and then fight the WW champ next. If Belal wins he would have completely wasted the last few months.

 

[nostradumbass]

Yeah, if he wins the WW belt, he gives up the LW belt at stays at WW. I don't think anybody wants to gain and lose weight that often to keep moving up and dropping down.

Ilia deserves the title shot more than anyone not named Arman lol. I’m not an Islam hater but he should have taken the Topuria fight rather than wait around for this weekend like a cuck. He could have beat Ilia and then fight the WW champ next. If Belal wins he would have completely wasted the last few months.

He deserves it based on what? Who's his best win at LW?

Topuria's only fight at LW was several years ago against a can who dropped him, and he hasn't fought anybody at all in 7 months. Charles hasn't fought in 6 months, and Arman hasn't fought in over a year. Topuria could have fought either of them and could be asking for a title shot as a ranked fighter already instead of sitting out for long stretches in his 20s and demanding he be handed everything without earning it.

 

[Alpha_T83]

Ilia deserves the title shot more than anyone not named Arman lol. I’m not an Islam hater but he should have taken the Topuria fight rather than wait around for this weekend like a cuck. He could have beat Ilia and then fight the WW champ next. If Belal wins he would have completely wasted the last few months.

You're thinking about this the wrong way. You need to erase your mind and put yourself in Islam's shoes.

Islam already isn't interested in fighting another 145er -- he wants to fight Arman (the #1 contender). In addition, he's getting offered this fight on less than 3 months notice. Champions these days want minimum 4 months notice to scout fight tape on their opponents and build a gameplan, and still have 3 full months of training camp left.

Why would you (being Islam) accept this short notice fight when you aren't motivated? He owes the fans nothing regardless of what people here say. He doesn't owe anything to Topuria. He's probably got all the money he needs already. It makes sense for Islam to wait and either move to welterweight, or to let Topuria earn his title shot by fighting Charles Oliveira.

 

[Tweak896]

Hope he does, because Islam vs JDM or Belal isn't that interesting to me. Shavkat would be cool.

 

[Streeter]

He should have to fight Shavat first. Or another top ww.

 

[Skarsgard]

Nah. The WW shot is the last fight of his career. I think that's why he's being so selective. Not much of a fan, but the dude has taken short notice fights without giving a fuck who his opponent is. If he's being selective now, it's for a reason.

 

[Human Bass]

Probably not. Some BS will come up like it always does and he'll either move back down or go up to MW

MW Islam would be hilarious.

 

[sdpdude9]

Ilia deserves the title shot more than anyone not named Arman lol. I’m not an Islam hater but he should have taken the Topuria fight rather than wait around for this weekend like a cuck. He could have beat Ilia and then fight the WW champ next. If Belal wins he would have completely wasted the last few months.

Playing devils advocate, couldn’t this criticism be levied at Topuria as well? He’s been inactive for longer than Islam, why not fight a contender instead of waiting for Islam?

 

[Brigfa2]

Dana White: Let's make JDM fight Belal, JDM doesn't have a great TDD but Belal is not a finisher so he can finish that fight at anytime. That way Belal would disappear from the UFC and we can give Islam the easiest fight in WW

 

[payton]

Yes. Shavkat almost got choked out by striker Ian Garry.

 

[Rubios]

He has said -not on Twitter but coming from his mouth- several times that he wanted to fight Shavkat.