While Ilia Topuria`s performances inside the octagon are undeniably impressive, the wider mixed martial arts community, including lead UFC commentator Jon Anik, has been left thoroughly astonished by the new lightweight champion`s self-assurance and overall demeanor.
Topuria recently clinched his second divisional title with a spectacular knockout victory over former champion Charles Oliveira in the main event of UFC 317 in Las Vegas. Jon Anik was on commentary duty for the fight, working alongside Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier.
In the days leading up to the bout, Topuria behaved with an almost unnerving certainty of victory, reportedly even celebrating his anticipated win the night before the event. Anik expressed being completely floored by Topuria`s composure and confidence across the board.
“It is nuts, it`s like nothing I`ve seen before,” Anik stated. He admitted that he sometimes faces criticism for sounding overly enthusiastic, but insisted that terms like “calm, cool, collected” don`t adequately capture Topuria`s mindset. Anik described Topuria as incredibly matter-of-fact, approaching fights as if victory against multiple Hall of Fame-level opponents is simply an inevitable outcome. While parallels to Conor McGregor can be drawn, Anik highlighted Topuria`s unique post-fight reaction – lacking the typical urge to jump on the cage – and the pre-fight celebration as particularly striking. He even suggested Topuria seems to “bend time” with his control and timing.
Topuria`s current three-fight run is building a case as one of the greatest streaks in UFC history. It began in February 2024 when he knocked out Alexander Volkanovski to claim the featherweight championship. Eight months later, “El Matador” achieved another historic feat, becoming the first fighter ever to stop Max Holloway with strikes at UFC 308. He then added the dominant stoppage of Charles Oliveira this past weekend.
The atmosphere in the arena immediately after the knockout was reportedly incredible. However, LFA flyweight Phumi Nkuta, who attended the event, noted that while the fan sections erupted, the section populated by other fighters remained remarkably quiet and appeared stunned.
Anik stated that he was not surprised by this reaction from Topuria`s peers.
Anik suggested that fighters like Islam Makhachev, Justin Gaethje, or Dustin Poirier, who have recent experience fighting Charles Oliveira, would find Topuria`s performance particularly impactful. He emphasized that this was still a prime Charles Oliveira, describing him as still incredibly hungry to compete. Anik believes witnessing this performance likely explains the stunned reaction from Topuria`s contemporaries, concluding that Ilia Topuria is a truly unique fighter whose impact is being recognized by his peers.
Naturally, a significant topic of discussion following UFC 317 is whether Topuria should now be considered the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world, potentially surpassing Islam Makhachev, who recently vacated his lightweight title to move up in weight.
Anik acknowledged the subjective nature of pound-for-pound rankings. While many discussions focus on a two-fighter debate, Anik proposed a “three-headed monster” involving Topuria, Makhachev, and Merab Dvalishvili. Anik found it peculiar that Makhachev is no longer a champion despite not having lost a fight. He praised both Ilia Topuria and Merab Dvalishvili for maximizing their opportunities and achieving dominant runs. Anik suggested that while fans who favor knockouts might lean towards Topuria over Dvalishvili, Merab has a strong case based on his consistent historical dominance, making the top spot a difficult decision among the three.
