Who is fighting whom in the lightweight division currently? This is one of the most important questions the fans have in mind at the moment. Often regarded as the UFC’s most stacked and unpredictable weight class, it’s currently a bit overcrowded. The sheer number of elite contenders has made matchmaking a near-impossible puzzle. One fighter who has completely shaken up the division is Ilia Topuria after he vacated his featherweight title for a shot at the lightweight title.
‘La Leyenda’ has made it clear that he only wants to fight for the title title and no one else. However, the sad news for him is that the champion has clearly mentioned that he needs to earn himself a title shot. Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen has now given another reason why the fight might not happen. ‘The American Gangster’ took to his Instagram account to share his opinion on the whole situation. Sonnen believes Topuria needs to challenge himself against Charles Oliveira first and said, “Ilia versus Islam is a completely different fight. If Ilia beats Charles first”.
However, he then pointed out that this particular fight is not the biggest fight of the year 2025. Rather it’s the clash between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall which the fans are looking forward to. He believes because of this, the fight between Makhachev and Topuria might be delayed.
Sonnen further added, “Ilia versus Islam right now and I know there are some nut huggers out there that just think that’s the biggest fight. It’s not. The biggest fight of 2025 will be Jones vs Aspinall. So any other fight that you are doing, you need to beat that fight. There’s no reason to make a fight if you know it can’t be number one. Can we agree on that? You’d have a legitimate shot of beating the night of business Aspinall Jones if you got Topuria one fight first.”
Well as of now there’s no announcement of the fight as of yet and the fans are waiting for any further updates. In the meantime, the mind games have already begun by the 28-year-old fighter. ‘La Leyenda’ not only feels he belongs in the division but has also sent a message to all the fighters in the division.
“I am the lightweight world champion… I wouldn’t sign up for a competition without knowing if I am going to win or not, without being sure I will win. No one is at my level,” the Spanish-Georgian champion said during a conversation with Men’s Health magazine in a recent Spanish edition. Is he really that good to beat Islam Makhachev? Colby Covington thinks so.
Colby Covington backs Ilia Topuria to win his fight against Islam Makhachev
There are few fighters in the UFC who back their talks with action like the way Ilia Topuria does. Since making his debut in the UFC, the 28-year-old has shown exceptional skills and impressed everyone with his personality. One fighter who already knew Topuria would reach such high levels was UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal.
In a clip shared by Red Corner MMA on their Instagram page, ‘Gamebred’ made some massive predictions about ‘La Leyenda’s power and said, “His power? He hits harder than Islam. I’m telling you.” Now, Masvidal’s bitter friend-turned-rival and former UFC welterweight interim champion Colby Covington feels The Georgian-Spaniard can defeat Makhachev.
‘Chaos’ pointed out that Makhachev didn’t quite look comfortable during his fight with Dustin Poirier. Although he lost the fight, he gave a blueprint to many fighters on how to push the champion. Only if Topuria can do the exact same he might just win the fight, feels Covington.
He added, “And I didn’t think he looked that good in the last fight versus Dustin. I mean he looked beatable. He didn’t look like invincible. So you know I think that will be an interesting fight.” At the end of the day, all such claims can only be stopped if the pair clashes inside the Octagon. But with no recent development, it seems the fans will have to wait to witness these two elite fighters take on each other.
Will the fight between the two happen soon? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post UFC Rumors: Insider Claims ‘Biggest Fight of 2025’ Stands In Delaying Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev Fight appeared first on EssentiallySports.