While Ilia Topuria`s performances inside the octagon are certainly remarkable, the MMA community, including lead UFC commentator Jon Anik, is particularly struck by the new lightweight champion`s extraordinary self-belief and composure.
Topuria recently secured his second divisional title with a spectacular knockout victory over former champion Charles Oliveira in the main event of UFC 317 last Saturday. Jon Anik was part of the commentary team for the event in Las Vegas, alongside Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier.
Throughout the entire lead-up to the fight, Topuria carried himself as if the outcome were already decided, even going so far as to celebrate the title win the night before the actual event. Anik expressed his complete astonishment at Topuria`s approach in every aspect.
“It is nuts, it`s like nothing I`ve seen before,” Anik shared. “I know sometimes I`m criticized for sounding extra hyperbolic, but calm, cool, collected doesn`t even begin to describe it. He is so matter of fact, as if the outcome is an eventuality against Hall of Famer after Hall of Famer, and now after third Hall of Famer that I don`t really know that there`s a comp.”
Anik noted some superficial parallels to Conor McGregor but highlighted key differences, pointing out that after winning, Topuria doesn`t exhibit the typical desire to jump onto the cage to celebrate wildly. He found the pre-fight celebration particularly astounding. Anik reflected on the mindset, stating, “when an athlete says things like, `I`m just going to collect the belt and I won it in camp,` it`s like, yeah, but you still got to go perform on fight night. You can`t be flat on fight night.”
He drew a comparison to consistent elite performers, saying, “We used to say about Floyd Mayweather, 50-0 is 50-0, he was never flat on fight night. You still got to go out and do it.” Anik concluded about Topuria, “But with this guy, it is almost as if he bends time.”
Topuria`s recent three-fight run is undoubtedly one of the best in the history of the UFC. In February 2024, he won the featherweight championship by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298. Just eight months later, “El Matador” became the first fighter ever to finish Max Holloway with strikes at UFC 308. He then followed this up by stopping Charles Oliveira this past weekend.
The reaction within the arena following the knockout was reportedly unique. LFA flyweight Phumi Nkuta, who attended the event with Aljamain Sterling, observed that while the general fan section exploded in excitement, the section occupied by other fighters remained noticeably quiet, appearing stunned.
Anik stated that he wasn`t surprised by this reaction from Topuria`s fellow competitors.
“Just imagine if you are Islam Makhachev, Justin Gaethje, or Dustin Poirier, and you`re watching that play out,” Anik speculated. “Any fighter with recent history with Charles Oliveira from, say 2019 on, and then you see that, right? And don`t tell me this isn`t a prime Charles Oliveira. I mean, if this is *The Hunger Games*, he still leads the league.”
Anik continued, emphasizing Oliveira`s enduring motivation: “He`s still as hungry as ever to fight.” He suggested this context helps explain why Topuria`s contemporaries in the audience were left speechless. Anik contrasted this with the commentary team`s necessary immediate reaction. He concluded by expressing how the performance altered his view on Topuria`s potential, stating, “I wasn`t liking his chances at welterweight before this result, and then I`m thinking, my goodness, man, far be it for me to put anything past the guy. … This Ilia Topuria, man, he`s one of one, and his peers are certainly taking notice.”
Naturally, a significant topic of discussion after UFC 317 is whether Topuria now deserves to be ranked as the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world, potentially overtaking Islam Makhachev, the former lightweight champion who has moved up in weight.
Anik acknowledged that such rankings are inherently subjective. However, while many see the pound-for-pound discussion primarily involving two fighters, Anik believes a third contender warrants consideration.
“So it`s hard to lose your number one slot if you`re Islam Makhachev if you haven`t lost a fight, but is it not crazy that we live in a world right now in which if you go to UFC.com and Islam Makhachev is not a champion anymore?” Anik remarked. “What did that guy do to not be a UFC undisputed champion right now? It`s impossible to argue against what Ilia Topuria has done. It`s very hard to argue against what Merab Dvalishvili has done, and certainly Islam just hasn`t been the frequent competitor that Merab has been or maybe Ilia, I guess, has been over the last however many months.”
He concluded by describing the situation as a “three-headed monster” involving Topuria, Makhachev (whom he considered the long-time No. 1), and Merab Dvalishvili. Anik feels both Topuria and Merab have “maximized their utility.” He suggested that the preference between Topuria and Merab in the rankings might come down to valuing knockout power (Topuria) versus sustained historical dominance (Merab).
