Despite the size difference, Colby Covington thinks Ilia Topuria has the skill to make things interesting vs. Islam Makhachev.
Lightweight champion Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) told the UFC he’d fight welterweight champion Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) June 14 at the White House, but the promotion had other plans. Topuria has been interested in fighting Makhachev since they were both champions at a weight class below.
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Instead, Topuria will unify his belt with interim champ Justin Gaethje (27-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) in the UFC Freedom 250 headliner. With Topuria’s power and grappling base, Covington says “El Matador” would be a tough out for Makhachev.
“I think the best fight was going to be the Topuria fight, but obviously that fight didn’t come together,” Covington told MMA Junkie. “He’s going to unify the title with Gaethje which is cool, but I think that’s the most high-level fight the welterweight division could have done.
“I think Topuria matches up exceptional against Makhachev. He’s a big, strong guy, he’s a low center gravity so, he’s going to very hard to take down and hold down. Of course, we know how explosive his striking is. So, hopefully they can make that fight before their careers end.”
Topuria, who stands at 5’7,’ would be significantly smaller than various top welterweights if he were to eventually make the move up. However, Covington thinks his power and IQ make up for it.
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“It is a big jump,” Covington admitted. “I think at 155, he’s definitely getting his hand raised. It’s going to be an easy fight, but at 170, definitely it’s going to be hard for him. He’s going to have to go through the fire, but I think he likes going through the fire.
“I think him coming back from all that nasty divorce settlement stuff that he’s going through, I think he’s going to be a bat out of hell. He’s going to want to just freaking light dudes up. He’s going to have a sense of urgency. If he gets taken down, he’s going to get back up. I still favor him even at welterweight.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Colby Covington likes Ilia Topuria’s chances vs. Islam Makhachev
