While Khabib Nurmagomedov isn’t convinced Ilia Topuria deserves a shot at Islam Makhachev, a UFC legend most certainly is.
Since his arrival in the world’s premier mixed martial arts promotion, ‘El Matador’ has looked nothing short of scintillating.
Having knocked out Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, the power puncher is now ready for a new challenge.
With that in mind, even if Chael Sonnen calls his behavior ‘unusual’, Topuria is determined to pursue a fight with Makhachev.
WOW: Fans go wild over Islam Makhachev’s cryptic message potentially referring to Ilia Topuria fight
Michael Bisping says Khabib Nurmagomedov is wrong about Ilia Topuria
Michael Bisping is adamant that Ilia Topuria has earned his shot at lightweight supremacy against Islam Makhachev.
He’s even gone as far as pointing out what he believes to be a flaw in Khabib Nurmagomedov’s argument against the match-up.
In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, ‘The Count’ explained: “So Khabib Nurmagomedov came out, and he said that he doesn’t think Topuria deserves the chance, not without proving himself first at 155—talking about Alexander Volkanovski.
“However, this is a different scenario. Topuria has moved up. He’s abandoned 145, he’s up to 155, and I think he deserves a title fight. Simple as that.”
While many believe that the reigning featherweight King is too small to take on the pound-for-pound best, not everyone agrees. Having heard some explosive rumors, Terrance McKinney thinks Topuria could beat Makhachev.
UFC legend says Islam Makhachev is the only person who can stop Ilia Topuria from becoming a three-weight champion
Since the UFC’s inception, a select few fighters have managed to scale the mountain in not one, but two weight divisions.
The world watched in awe, as the likes of Randy Couture and Georges St-Pierre produced spectacular displays to make history.
However, nobody has managed to become a title-holder in three weight classes.