“Islam is gonna be a hard man to beat. For anyone, I think the only chance of him losing is someone knocking him out. Someone landing something… I think everyone has a puncher’s chance. I think that’s only where I see him really losing, someone catching him. And if anyone could do it, it is Ilia,” said Alexander Volkanovski, the only man to have shared the Octagon with both Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria, pointed out the only way ‘La Leyenda’ could ever bring the lightweight champion down from his throne. And that’s with his dangerous knockout power. To tighten up the one area where he’s most vulnerable, his striking, Makhachev appears to be seeking out high-level mentorship. And the name in question?
With the help of the former undefeated lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev aced his way to the top with impeccable wrestling. And if we compare Makhachev with ‘The Eagle’, the pound-for-pound #1 is often considered a better fighter. Well, that’s indeed because of his better-than-average striking prowess. For veteran fans who recall the likes of Anthony Pettis catching Benson Henderson or Matt Serra shocking GSP, it’s a reminder that even the most dominant fighters live under the shadow of the right hand. The lightweight champion simply can’t afford to go down like he did at UFC 192, can he? Fans will remember Makhachev’s lone UFC loss at UFC 192, a shocking KO by Adriano Martins that exposed a vulnerability in his early standup game.
But what has Makhachev done in response to this looming threat? He’s taken a move right out of the elite’s playbook by seeking evolution over comfort. Despite an already formidable striking base that has grown leaps beyond his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov’s, Makhachev has now joined forces with one of the most creative strikers the UFC has seen in recent memory, Zabit Magomedsharipov.
Soon, @blackbeltmma shared the visuals on their IG profile. The caption read, “Caption: Looks like Islam joined Buka Gym in Azerbaijan and probably wants to improve his striking even more with Zabit and his team for Topuria fight? ” No doubt, the post invited the fighting community to drop down to the comments section and reveal their thoughts. But the fans had only one emotion – concern.
Islam Makhachev’s new move made the fighting realm worry about Ilia Topuria
The fans know about Magomedsharipov’s strengths pretty well. He had defended 64% of significant strikes and landed 4.89 significant strikes per minute with an accuracy of 48%. Needless to say, these are some commendable numbers for a fighter who’s predominantly a wrestler. And if Magomedsharipov helped Makhachev hone his striking prowess, the fans believed it would be the end of Topuria’s domination. One of the fans wrote, “If Zabit give Islam his Theory of striking, 110% topturia is done.” Another fan added, “Little ilia is cooked if he’s preparing for him.” Meanwhile, one more fan believed, “Islam will maul Ilia. Facts.”
The fighting community kept on hailing the Dagestani champion. But the horns of warning did sound for ‘La Leyenda’. One of the fans commented, “yeeeaahh ilia better be working hard, this sound like, ‘i wanna finish’em on the feet’ from islam.” No doubt, with the energy that’s surrounding the (unannounced) bout between Makhachev and Topuria, fans believed, “This fight gonna be so crazy .” Some fans even claimed, “We might be getting the Illia Vs Islam fight sooner than we expected.”
Topuria, unbeaten and increasingly vocal, is no easy puzzle. His striking is clean and powerful, and, further comes with a killer instinct that feels more Jose Aldo than Conor McGregor, who was measured yet brutal. The idea of Makhachev choosing to strike with him rather than smother him? That’s what makes this potential matchup electric for longtime UFC fans.
Nevertheless, as fight fans continued to show concern for the former featherweight champion, some of the fans commended Nurmagomedov. According to them, the former lightweight champion made the smart move by seeking Magomedsharipov’s help. One comment read, “Khabib can’t teach him that part of the game, smart man.”
As speculation swirls around Makhachev’s future, possibly moving to welterweight after this run, the decision to cross-train with someone like Zabit could signal more than a short-term adjustment. It may begin a stylistic transformation, where Dagestani dominance evolves from pure control to well-rounded destruction.
What are your thoughts on Makhachev joining Buka Gym? Do you think it’s going to make the Dagestani champion an unstoppable force after he moves to the welterweight division? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.
The post Growing Concerns Strikes Ilia Topuria After Islam Makhachev Joins Legendary Fighter to Sharpen Stand-Up Tactics appeared first on EssentiallySports.