Islam Makhachev vs Ilia Topuria was building up to a fiery rivalry, and we almost got that fight during International Fight Week. But then Jack Della Maddalena stepped up, securing the welterweight fight against the Dagestani champ by defeating Belal Muhammad at UFC 315. That win, however, came at a cost. Islam had to sacrifice his 155-pound title and the highly anticipated lightweight superfight against the Georgian-Spaniard.

‘El Matador’ is locked in to face Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title at the International Fight Week spectacle at UFC 318. He’s also a heavy favorite in the early odds to take the win. Because of that, some fans don’t mind if he eventually moves up to 170. When asked about that in a press conference in Spain, Topuria said, “If the opportunity arises and there’s an exciting fight, I’ll be there.” Well, not an option according to Jon Anik. 

Jon Anik dismisses Ilia Topuria’s plans for a welterweight jump to face Islam Makhachev

It has to be acknowledged that Ilia Topuria’s glory-chasing mindset might eventually lead him to follow Islam Makhachev into the welterweight division. However, UFC play-by-play commentator Jon Anik isn’t buying into the hype. Even with all the whispers and speculation, he believes the fight won’t happen. Not with the welterweight division stacked with too many hungry contenders already waiting for their shot.

Anik told Submission Radio, “Who’s talking about this? I just don’t see it. Now, Islam Makhachev—I don’t know if he would have an appetite, no pun intended, to move back to 155 pounds, where he would no longer be the defending champion. But look at the welterweight rankings. Look at all the deserving contender types.” 

That’s a fair point by Anik! Islam vs Ilia might still happen at 155 lbs—especially if the Dagestani falls short against Jack Della Maddalena. But with contenders like Sean Brady, Shavkat Rakhmonov, and possibly even Joaquin Buckley if he beats Kamaru Usman at UFC Atlanta, the queue at welterweight is already long. Plus, it’s unlikely the UFC would want two massive stars jumping in and overcrowding an already stacked division.

He added, “With respect to the Islam Makhachev vs Ilia Topuria fight—the magnitude of it—it cannot happen at 170 lbs. At some point, the clear minds need to intervene and recognize the body of work of all these welterweight contenders, right? Ilia deserves the world, but I don’t think he can just hop divisions.”

Ilia Topuria making those drastic changes to his body and optimizing himself to compete across three divisions would be a tall task. Lightweight clearly seems like the best fit for him right now, so Jon Anik’s take holds weight. But not everyone sees it that way. In fact, the UFC’s biggest talking head, Chael Sonnen, believes it’s not such a bad idea after all

Chael Sonnen believes Topuria should chase Islam Makhachev to the welterweight division

‘The Bad Guy’ has been the loudest critic of Islam Makhachev’s decision to vacate lightweight and move to 170 lbs, even sparking an online feud between them. Chael Sonnen believes Ilia Topuria was the rightful challenger, and in his view, ‘El Matador’ should’ve jumped straight from featherweight to welterweight, skipping 155 entirely to chase the superfight.

Sonnen, in his YouTube video, said, “Strategically speaking, he should’ve gone from 145lbs to 170lbs, and he would’ve had him. You can’t tell him he can fight Islam for the world title and then tell him he can’t fight Islam for the world title — it’s the same thing.  If he can get through Charles Oliveira, that’s good enough to get him to Islam. If he’s good enough for Islam now, he’s good enough for Islam at 170lbs”

That’s definitely a different and pretty compelling point of view. Topuria might actually perform well at 170 lbs, but the size discrepancy could be a real problem against true welterweights. He’s managed to make the featherweight cut, even if it’s been a struggle, so jumping two divisions is no small ask. A bigger, stronger Makhachev at 170 could spell trouble not just for Topuria, but for the rest of the division too.

That being said, what do you think Ilia Topuria vs Islam Makhachev would look like in the welterweight division? Would the competition play out the same, or would the extra weight change everything? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!