Michael Chandler makes eye-opening claim on how Islam Makhachev could "handily" beat Ilia Topuria 

UFC lightweight Michael Chandler shared his thoughts on the potential Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev bout and how he believes the fight would unfold.

Topuria delivered a spectacular performance in his first featherweight title defense against Max Holloway at UFC 308. He shocked the world by knocking Holloway out cold in the third round, marking the first time ‘Blessed’ had ever been knocked out in the UFC.

Following this historic victory, the Spaniard expressed his desire to secure a second belt. He also vowed to vacate his featherweight title and move up to the lightweight division, calling out Makhachev for a potential fight.

On the other hand, the Dagestani star solidified his legacy as one of the greatest lightweights of all-time by defending his title for the fourth time at UFC 311, securing a quick first-round submission victory over Renato Moicano.

Speaking on Red Hawk Recap episode #171, Chandler shared his thoughts on a potential fight between Makhachev and Topuria. ‘Iron’ praised the reigning featherweight champion’s knockout power, highlighting Topuria’s recent victory over Holloway. He stated:

“Ilia Topuria one of my favorite fighters to watch stylistically... Ilia does a great job of that winning by one. He doesn’t force anything, doesn’t get outside of himself, doesn’t get emotional, and doesn’t push too hard. At the same time, he doesn’t take his foot off the gas too much. He stays right in the middle until he lands that big knockout punch. I honestly didn’t think he was going to knock Max Holloway out, but he did. “

Furthermore, Chandler asserted if Makhachev could survive 15 minutes against Topuria, then the lightweight champion could easily beat ‘El Matador,’ saying:

“I think he could catch Islam Makhachev too. However, if that fight goes beyond 15 minutes, I believe Islam beats him handily because Islam is a very large lightweight, while Ilia isn’t that big for a featherweight.”

Check out Michael Chandler’s comments below (31:15):

However, Makhachev has consistently dismissed the idea of fighting Topuria, asserting that he is unwilling to grant a title shot to a featherweight. He emphasized that he has already given two opportunities to Alexander Volkanovski and sees no reason to entertain a similar matchup.

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Michael Chandler says Islam Makhachev is a big and tall fighter at 155 pounds

In the aforementioned podcast, Michael Chandler was asked if Islam Makhachev could become a double champion by moving up. Chandler discussed the physical advantages of the Dagestani fighter and said:

“He's [Islam Makhachev] big and he's you know he's tall he's got the length you know that's one thing Islam is a big 155 especially after he fills up.” [32:45]