A confident Ilia Topuria has called his shot with Islam Makhachev.
The undefeated UFC Featherweight Champion relishes in beating his opponents at their own game, knocking out the likes of Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski and tapping out submission artist Bryce Mitchell.
Ilia Topuria doesn’t plan on changing his ways even if it’s against the #1 pound-for-pound fighter on the planet in Islam Makhachev, who’s he been rumored to fight later this year.
Leaving his featherweight belt behind at UFC 314, the UFC star’s unsure on when a super-fight at lightweight could materialize, saying as early as the summer. Whenever the case, Topuria remains certain he will the be the first man to submit Makhachev in the Octagon.
Ilia Topuria tells Islam Makhachev what he’ll submit him with
A variety of different submissions on his 16-fight record, Topuria says he’d choose Makhachev’s personal favorite to stop him with.
Makhachev’s go-to submission seems to be the D’arce choke, which he submitted Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano with in his last two title defenses.
“I feel that I submit him with with the D’arce,” Topuria said on the PBD Podcast.
“Like, which one is your favorite? D’arce? This part I’m not joking,” Topuria added.
“I truly believe that I submit him with the D’arce or whatever.
“Tell me, which one’s your favorite? Don’t tell me a heel hook or some b******* submission [like that].”
Ilia Topuria: ‘It’s gonna be even more entertaining’
Just about half of Makhachev’s 27 career wins have come by submission, the lightweight champion showing no apparent weaknesses on the ground. It doesn’t help Topuria that the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov is in Makhachev’s corner.
Even so, Topuria has never been known to back down, standing in the middle of the Octagon, ready to stand and trade with Max Holloway in the first 10 seconds of their fight at UFC 308 like he said he was going to do.
‘La Leyenda’ likes a good challenge with Makhachev.
“I think D’arce or guillotine,” Topuria guessed of what Makhachev’s favorite submission is.
“If he says that, I go for that. No problem. It’s gonna be even more entertaining for me…”
A background in Greco-Roman wrestling, Ilia Topuria says he doesn’t get much credit for his grappling, claiming his best skills are on the ground.
