In the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the largest mixed martial arts (MMA) organization in the world, narratives mark positive turning points in terms of numerical peaks in viewership. Currently there is a battle with overtones of legend that … stands out above the rest, the most competitive and media fight at the moment, the hypothetical duel between the number one and two pound for pound in the world: Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria.
The rivalry between the two has not been built through blows, at least not yet, but through words, a great Hispano-Georgian ambition and a question that has been hovering over the UFC for months: who is really the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world? On the one hand, Topuria, double world champion (featherweight and lightweight), broke into the elite with a speech as sharp as his boxing. Undefeated, self-confident and with an openly conquering mentality.
On the other hand, Makhachev, also a double champion (lightweight and welterweight), represents the established power. Welterweight monarch since November of last year and former lightweight champion, where he broke the record for the number of defenses with four, he has defended his belt with authority and has built his reign from control, constant pressure and grappling that stifles any attempt at rebellion. For many, it is number one pound for pound. For Topuria, however, it is the next logical obstacle. “I can knock him out”he has repeated on several occasions, minimizing the aura of invincibility that surrounds the Dagestani.
It didn’t take long for the statements to cross paths. Makhachev’s entourage has responded with skepticism, highlighting the difference in size, experience and level of opposition. Islam, more content in the microphone, has made it clear that he is not interested in going down to lightweight and that, if there is a crossover, it should be Topuria who goes up to welterweight and “show” that your trust has real basis. It is not just a question of belts: it is a dispute of hierarchy.
The crash is also symbolic. Topuria embodies the new European generation, complete in all areas and with an aggressive approach that mixes spectacle and efficiency. Makhachev is the culmination of the Caucasus school, where discipline, control and combat plan outweigh brilliance. Elite boxing versus elite sambo. Surgical precision versus relentless wear.
Recently, Islam Makhachev has spoken out again regarding their rivalry and has ruled out the idea of returning to lightweight for a fight against Ilia Topuria. «So that? I had the lightweight belt, no one beat me. For a belt? That doesn’t interest me. If Ilia wants to promote [al peso wélter]welcome. You can move up because you have nothing to lose. If you lose, you go down to lightweight and that’s it. He will defend his belt there… I was already lightweight champion and I am definitely not going to go down again. He hasn’t proven anything yet at lightweight. He has a lot of work ahead of him. Arman Tsarukyan calls him every day, asking him to fight,” he noted in an interview with Match TV.
