In combat sports, most fighters either come from grappling-heavy backgrounds or make their name through concussive striking. But only a rare few are able to master the complete game, seamlessly blending every element of MMA. Among those elite all-rounders, many still widely regard former two-division UFC champion Georges St-Pierre as the gold standard. Throughout his dominant run in the promotion, GSP broke records and became only the fourth fighter in UFC history to claim titles in two weight classes. But what truly sets him apart is the legacy he left behind — a legacy built on being arguably the most well-rounded and “most accomplished” fighter the sport has ever seen.
After registering a record 9 welterweight title defenses and capturing the middleweight title by submitting Michael Bisping at UFC 217 in 2017, ‘Rush’ stepped away from competition, citing health concerns. Yet, even in retirement, his name continues to be mentioned in conversations about complete fighters. Grappling icon Gordon Ryan once compared St-Pierre to another MMA legend, Jon Jones, highlighting their ability to combine all aspects of fighting at the highest level: “With Jon, he’s very similar to GSP, to Georges in the sense that he’s not the world’s best wrestler, he’s not the best jiu-jitsu guy, he’s not the best striker. But his ability to put it all together is just on a different level.”
And now, St-Pierre’s name is making waves once again — this time on Joe Rogan’s JRE MMA Show. During episode #166, the podcaster hosted former UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria and couldn’t help but liken ‘La Leyenda’s versatility to that of GSP. Reflecting on Topuria’s dominant win over Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Ryan Hall, the same man who once submitted BJ Penn. And don’t forget, ‘The Prodigy’ also took GSP to the limit in their first billing back at UFC 58.
“When you dominated him [Hall] like that. I was like, Jesus Christ. And then you put his lights out—I was like, wow. Because people, when they see a guy who can strike like you do, they kind of forget about the ground game, you know? They forget that your ground game is very elite too, which is really interesting. You tend to put people in categories of danger—but with you, it’s all danger.”
Joe Rogan went on to praise Topuria’s complete arsenal: “Your game? It’s everything. It’s all over the place. Like the Bryce Mitchell fight—it’s everywhere. It’s stand-up, it’s the ground, it’s comprehensive. It’s like Georges St-Pierre when he was in his prime. It was coming from all different angles.”
MMA: UFC 298-Volkanovski vs Topuria Feb 17, 2024 Anaheim, California, USA Ilia Topuria celebrates his championship victory against Alexander Volkanovski during UFC 298 at Honda Center. Anaheim Honda Center, California, USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xGaryxA.xVasquezx 20240217_gav_sv5_163
Rogan’s words hold significant weight, particularly now that Topuria has officially vacated his featherweight title, as confirmed by Dana White in February. The Georgian-Spanish passed the baton to Alexander Volkanovski, who recently seized the vacated title and is eyeing an immediate shot at 155lbs, where he will need to face reigning champion Islam Makhachev.
Despite all the excitement, many MMA pundits and critics have raised doubts about Ilia Topuria’s game plan, labeling him as a “good boxer” and questioning his ability to handle Makhachev’s superior wrestling. However, there’s now a new challenge on the horizon for ‘La Leyenda’, sparking even more discussion. What exactly is this new problem? Let’s dive in!
UFC lightweight contender delivers reality check to Ilia Topuria against Islam Makhachev
Earlier this year, Dana White sent shockwaves through both the featherweight and lightweight divisions when he confirmed Ilia Topuria’s permanent move to 155lbs. The shift came after just one successful title defense at featherweight, prompted by the Georgian export’s growing difficulty cutting weight, largely due to age, and his ambition to become a two-division champion. With that goal in mind, Topuria immediately turned his focus toward the reigning lightweight king, Islam Makhachev, who has already defended his title a record-breaking four times.
However, Topuria’s path to a second belt is far from straightforward. Islam Makhachev and Team Khabib have made it clear they’re not interested in offering him an immediate title shot. Instead, they want to see him tested against top-tier contenders in the lightweight division first. Still, ‘La Leyenda ‘remains laser-focused, his eyes burning with the same determination he’s carried since stepping into the UFC spotlight. Adding fuel to the fire, UFC lightweight contender Mateusz Gamrot recently weighed in with a brutally honest take on the matchup.
Highlighting the physical disparity between the two fighters, Gamrot said, “For me, it’s an interesting fight, but I don’t know. ‘La Leyenda’ is a small guy. Islam is a really big guy, and I don’t think Ilia Topuria has a chance against him. If you want to fight Islam, you have to be a big guy like him. He’s good everywhere. If your body is smaller, you don’t stand a chance—no way.”
Former interim champion Dustin Poirier, who praised Topuria’s boxing and even called him a “bigger puncher.” Still, Poirier didn’t shy away from the obvious challenge Topuria faces: The obvious size disadvantage against Makhachev.
Now the question is—do you agree with Joe Rogan’s glowing assessment of Ilia Topuria? Could he truly be on a path to surpass the legacy of Georges St-Pierre? And more intriguingly, does he stand a real chance at dethroning Islam Makhachev? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
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