Ilia Topuria has the ability to get past Islam Makhachev and rule his lightweight division.
The Spaniard vacated his featherweight title in the hopes of moving up a division and fighting lightweight champion Makhachev.
It means Topuria must overcome a 10Ibs weight disadvantage, but lightweight fighter Terrance McKinney can’t see it being an issue.
“I heard he’s been knocking out 170 pounders so I don’t think it really matters,” he told Inside Fighting, predicting how a mouthwatering clash between Topuria and Makhachev would play out.
“I saw a little video clip – I forgot who sent it – but I was like, damn, the boy’s a savage,” McKinney added.
“It’s just like once he gets on top of you, and there’s only a couple of fighters he can do that. He’s also going to pick the right fights, you know what I mean?”
Topuria knocked out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 last February to win the 145-pound strap for the first time.
Eight months later, ‘El Matador’ handed Max Holloway the first knockout of his professional MMA career to defend the belt in what was a remarkable legend killing performance.
Topuria boasts a perfect MMA record of 16 wins with zero defeats and will look to become one of the very few two-division champions should he get past Makhachev.
“You have to be able to nullify the wrestling and actually have good boxing, which Ilia has,” McKinney said when asked how Topuria can get past Makhachev.
“I mean if he can’t get up easily and put his hands on him then you’re cooked. You can’t just have decent stand-up, you have to be able to touch him up with your hands.”
McKinney concluded by saying that it’s either Arman Tsarukyan, who was meant to fight for the lightweight belt in January but pulled out due to injury, or Topuria who can dethrone Makhachev.
UFC boss Dana White sparked a major reaction from the MMA community when he took to Instagram live on Thursday to make several announcements across his divisions.
“Topuria has felt like he’s done all that he can in that division, and he feels like he’s cemented his legacy, and his body cannot make the weight anymore,” White said, speaking on the Spaniard vacating his title.
“So Topuria will be moving up to 155 pounds and will be vacating the featherweight title.”
He then revealed that Volkanovski would fight top Brazilian featherweight contender Diego Lopes in the main event of UFC 314 for the vacated belt.
“The way that this works. As soon as the first punch is thrown in this fight the title is vacated,” White added.
“We will announce what Topuria’s next fight will be when we get it done.”
Volkanovski, a former UFC featherweight champion, attempted to move up a division and fight Makhachev for his belt in 2023, but lost both of his fights with the Russian.
Makhachev hasn’t lost an MMA fight in nine years, and has defended his 155 lb title against Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano in his last two fights.
As Topuria has vacated his featherweight title, he would not join the likes of Conor McGregor and Daniel Cormier as one of the four fighters to hold UFC titles simultaneously should he get past Makhachev.
