Merab Dvalishvili believes there`s only one logical matchup for Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria: a fight between them now.
The UFC lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, is currently in a waiting period. He might move up to welterweight if his friend Belal Muhammad doesn`t win the title at UFC 315. Ilia Topuria is also waiting for a shot at the 155-pound belt after vacating his featherweight title, expecting an immediate championship opportunity.
This situation might seem complicated, but Dvalishvili sees a straightforward solution.
“Topuria says he’s not a featherweight anymore, he’s a lightweight champion,” Dvalishvili stated in a video. “Islam says he doesn’t want to fight ‘small guys,’ but Ilia is the biggest name right now.”
Makhachev`s hesitation to fight Topuria is partly due to the perception that his title defenses have been against fighters who previously competed at featherweight, like Alexander Volkanovski. While some of his other opponents, such as Renato Moicano, Dustin Poirier, and Charles Oliveira, have fought at featherweight in the past, they have been established lightweight contenders for years.
It`s not clear who Makhachev`s team considers the ideal opponent, although Khabib Nurmagomedov has suggested Arman Tsarukyan as a top contender. Dvalishvili is confident Makhachev would be a very tough challenge for Topuria, but he thinks it`s pointless for Topuria to take another fight before getting a title shot against Makhachev, which is the fight everyone is eager to see.
“Makhachev already defeated Tsarukyan in the past. He beat Oliveira and Poirier,” Dvalishvili pointed out. “A fight against Makhachev won`t be easy for Ilia, but it`s the fight to make. It would be stupid for Ilia to fight Oliveira and potentially lose. This fight against Makhachev is the superfight.”
