Jorge Masvidal picks UFC featherweight "as the guy" to potentially beat Ilia Topuria: "He is the complete opposite"

Jorge Masvidal recently shared his thoughts on Ilia Topuria’s dominance in the UFC featherweight division, calling him the top fighter at 145 pounds. Having trained with Topuria multiple times, Masvidal has first-hand knowledge of his power, confidence, and fight IQ. He described Topuria as a dense and physically imposing athlete, capable of delivering knockout power that feels far beyond his weight class.

Topuria has been unstoppable in the UFC, boasting a perfect 16-0 record (8-0 in the UFC). His recent knockout victories over Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway solidified his status as the division’s best. Masvidal, who has trained with many elite fighters, claimed that Topuria’s striking and durability make him a nightmare matchup for anyone.

However, Masvidal also pointed to another undefeated contender, Movsar Evloev, as a potential threat to Topuria’s reign. Unlike Topuria, Evloev is a grappling specialist with formidable cardio. He holds a 19-0 record, with dominant wins over top contenders like Arnold Allen and Aljamain Sterling.

Masvidal noted that Evloev’s ability to neutralize strikers with his grappling could make him the perfect style to challenge Topuria. Speaking about Evloev's chances in a recent episode of the JAXXON PODCAST, Masvidal said:

"We got another killer from American Top Team. This one sucks for me because these are two friends of mine. I love both these guys... I love Ilia, and I love Movsar. Movsar is the complete opposite in many ways because he can wrestle, man."

Masvidal added:

"This dude can wrestle. He’s undefeated in the UFC and has great wins. He is the type of guy you would think you need to beat Ilia. Don’t stand with him, because obviously, he’s got some secret sauce in his hands. Take him down, control him, and maybe Movsar is the guy to do it."

Check out Jorge Masvidal's comments below (1:04:40):

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Paddy Pimblett weighs in on potential clash between Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev

Paddy Pimblett dismissed the idea of Ilia Topuria fighting Islam Makhachev for the UFC lightweight title, questioning whether Topuria had done enough to earn a second championship opportunity. Pimblett and Topuria have had a long-standing feud, dating back to their early UFC days.

While rumors suggest Topuria could potentially be fighting Makhachev next, Pimblett remains skeptical about his chances of securing a fight with the Dagestani. He believes Topuria needs more title defenses before jumping weight classes. Shedding light on Topuria's plans in a recent episode of the Blood Red podcast, Pimblett said:

“I can’t see Ilia fighting Islam. He’s only defended the belt once, normally you need to defend the belt like three times. And he’s not that big of a star, he’s not Conor McGregor to just jump right up and fight for the other belt so I can’t personally see that happening."

Check out Paddy Pimblett's comments below (41:50):