Merab Dvalishvili believes there`s only one logical matchup for Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria: a fight between them now.
The UFC lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, is currently in a period of waiting. He`s considering a move to welterweight if his teammate Belal Muhammad doesn`t win the title against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 on May 10. Meanwhile, Ilia Topuria recently relinquished his featherweight title, expecting to get an immediate shot at the 155-pound championship.
This situation might seem complicated, but Dvalishvili sees a straightforward solution.
“Topuria claims he`s not a featherweight anymore, that he’s a lightweight champion,” Dvalishvili stated in a video on the Fight Back Podcast. “Islam keeps saying he doesn’t want to fight smaller guys, but Ilia is currently the biggest name.”
Makhachev`s hesitation to fight the undefeated Topuria may also come from the perception that some of his title defenses have been against fighters who previously competed at featherweight. This includes Alexander Volkanovski, whom Makhachev defeated twice for the lightweight title. Other recent opponents like Renato Moicano (a late replacement for Arman Tsarukyan), Dustin Poirier, and Charles Oliveira have also fought at featherweight in the past, although they have been established lightweight competitors for several years.
It`s unclear who Makhachev`s team considers the ideal opponent, although Khabib Nurmagomedov, his close friend and mentor, has suggested Arman Tsarukyan as the most compelling challenger. Dvalishvili is confident that Makhachev would be a very tough opponent for Topuria (who shares Georgian heritage with Dvalishvili). However, he thinks it`s illogical for Topuria to take another fight before facing Makhachev, a matchup everyone wants to see.
“Makhachev already defeated Arman back in 2019,” Dvalishvili pointed out, referring to Makhachev`s win over Tsarukyan. “He’s beaten Oliveira and Poirier. While a fight against Makhachev won’t be easy for Ilia, it would be foolish for Ilia to fight Oliveira and potentially lose.
“This fight against Makhachev is the superfight.”
