MMA Analyst Details Likeliness Of Ilia Topuria Submitting Islam Makhachev

Ilia Topuria and Islam Makachev

Ilia Topuria shocked the MMA world by knocking out Max Holloway in an epic bout. This meant that the Spaniard has now knocked out Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway in back-to-back bouts. However, the featherweight champion is now looking to take things up by a notch. Topuria has expressed his desire to move up in weight to the lightweight division and challenge Islam Makhachev.

Making a bold statement, ‘El Matador’ has mentioned submitting Makhachev if the bout ever happens. Now, while this might seem like a farfetched idea, UFC analyst Luke Thomas thinks otherwise.

“You know straight-up submission grappling, do I think Ilia can beat him? Probably not. But if the fight stays on the feet for any amount of time and Ilia piecing him up and hurting him, do I think he can submit him off of that? I absolutely think he can submit him off of that…” Thomas said on ‘Submission Radio’.

Surely, Thomas has a point here. While many doubted Topuria’s chances against Holloway, he proved his power by delivering a thundering punch. Meanwhile, there were rumors doing the rounds about a probable matchup against Conor McGregor. But Topuria has some harsh words to say.

Ilia Topuria Slams Conor McGregor Amid Fight Rumors

Topuria recently called McGregor a “joker.” However, when asked about the possibility of the two fighting, the Spaniard dismissed the idea right away.

“The rumors of bout with mchicken are false. I don’t fight nor am I interested in fighting with a ra**st,” said Topuria.

Interestingly, Topuria initially showed interest in feuding with Conor McGregor. After winning against Volkanovski, the ‘El Matador’ called out ‘The Notorious’ for a fight. Unfortunately, that zeal seems to have fizzled out at the moment. Thus, with Topuria looking dominant, it will be interesting to see what happens next.