“No, I don’t agree—it’s going to be a tough fight for sure. Maddalena would be a harder fight for Islam than Topuria,” Arman Tsarukyan stated in a recent interview uploaded by Championship Rounds on X. The ‘Ahakalakets’ shut down the idea that Ilia Topuria poses a bigger threat to Islam Makhachev than the potential matchup against the new 170 lbs king, Jack Della Maddalena. However, he did acknowledge one key advantage ‘El Matador’ holds that could make things interesting.

From the start, the Georgian-Spaniard was given an edge over other lightweights thanks to his knockout power. It was the same story going into a potential clash with the soon-to-be former 155 lbs champ. But the big question was always whether the former featherweight could survive the Dagestani’s relentless grappling, a weapon that’s proven to be a nightmare for just about everyone he has faced so far.

Ilia Topuria’s background in Greco-Roman wrestling has always been viewed as a potential X-factor against wrestling-heavy fighters. Interestingly, his smaller stature is also seen as an advantage when it comes to fending off ground threats. Even Arman Tsarukyan admits it might be tough to keep the former 145 lbs kingpin grounded for long, but the Armenian also thinks his elbows would do the work if the potential match-up happens down the line. 

MMA Pro Pick posted Tsarukyan’s interview with meta fight YT and captioned the post, “I’d take him down, but he’s small and mobile, which makes him hard to control. Shorter guys are harder to hold down because of their compact frame. I could take him down, but holding him for five minutes? Not sure—guess we’ll see in the fight. I like using elbows. I don’t need to hold him for five minutes.”

That’s definitely a solid assessment from ‘Ahalkalakets’. A great example of a shorter opponent giving Islam trouble was Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284, where ‘The Great’ used his strength and compact frame to escape some tough spots. The same could apply to Ilia Topuria, who’s similar in size to ‘Volk’ and carries serious power. However, using elbows from the top could be a smart and effective strategy against someone like the former 145 lbs champ, because it works against almost any opponent. 

We’re just days away from seeing Ilia Topuria return to action against Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, and he’s getting a massive wave of support to claim the lightweight belt and become a two-division champion. Even one of the greatest martial artists of all time believes that’s exactly how it’s going to play out.

Demetrious Johnson believes Ilia Topuria is favorable to defeat Charles Oliveira at UFC 317

The Ilia Topuria hype train was already gaining serious momentum during his rise in the featherweight division. But after knocking out two 145-pound legends—Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, back-to-back, many started believing he could be the one to get the better of Islam Makhachev. Now, as he gears up to face Charles Oliveira, ‘El Matador’ has opened as a -345 favorite on DraftKings and Demetrious Johnson has a solid explanation for why that’s the case.

‘Mighty Mouse’ is backing Topuria for his willingness to chase Oliveira to the mat, something past opponents like Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje didn’t do. On the Red Hawk Recap podcast with Tim Welch, he explained, “A lot of those guys don’t follow him to the ground. They allow him to get back up, and he gets back in a gunfight and puts those guys out. Now, I’m betting Ilia’s gonna hurt him, and when he does, he’ll follow him to the ground and try to finish him, just like Islam did.”

Johnson nails it once again! ‘El Matador’ has the power to knock guys out, but he’s also got the tools to go for a choke if the opportunity’s there. That said, playing around with ‘Do Bronx’ on the mat for too long could backfire. Because we still don’t fully know how good Ilia is on the ground. He looked great against Bryce Mitchell, sure, but Oliveira is a whole different beast.

That being said, who do you think takes the vacant lightweight belt at UFC 317? Will Ilia Topuria keep his undefeated streak alive, or will Charles Oliveira be the one to break it? And do you think Topuria’s short, stocky frame could give the ground masters a hard time? Drop your thoughts in the comments.