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Ilia Topuria is determined to face Islam Makhachev for the latter's UFC lightweight title. Whether he can defeat him, though, has been a topic of debate among many. David Onama, a streaking featherweight in the promotion, shared his thoughts on the matchup in an interview with James Lynch on Home of the Night.
When asked by Lynch how he rated Topuria's chances against Makhachev, Onama was somewhat optimistic. While he didn't discount the Dagestani's skills, as he has authored a lengthy win streak at lightweight, he couldn't overlook Topuria's own skills and accomplishments.
"Ah, man, I mean, Islam being at 155 for a long time, he's been showing everybody that he belongs there. He's beaten a lot of people, and then Ilia going up a weight class, I don't know, man. I think, ah, that's a tough one. I think Ilia can pull it off if he plays the game right."
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Check out David Onama's thoughts on Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria (13:25):
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The UFC has yet to announce Topuria's next match following his permanent move to lightweight, a weight class he has fought in for the first, and thus far only, time at UFC Fight Night 204. He took on the towering Jai Herbert, surviving an early knockdown to knock him out cold in round two.
Now, he has returned to the division with championship aspirations, having given up his featherweight belt: a decision that will be made official once the cage door locks as Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes battle for the vacant title at UFC 314.
Ilia Topuria is confident in his chances of beating Islam Makhachev
Ilia Topuria has never been short on confidence. He predicted his knockout wins over Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, as improbably as they have seemed at the time. He has since given his thoughts on how he stacks up against Islam Makhchev.
"Islam, if I want to, I can finish you. If I want to, I can knock you out. I'll make it look easy. See you soon."
To Topuria's misfortune, he hasn't been able to secure a bout with Makhachev yet, prompting him to label the Dagestani grappler a coward. However, former UFC double champion Daniel Cormier disputes this characterization of not just Makhachev, but every UFC lightweight on Topuria's radar.
