At a time when MMA is going through somewhat of a recession with the lack of superstars, Ilia Topuria has emerged as Dana White’s new shiny toy. The Alicante-based fighter made history at UFC 317 after knocking out yet another legend and claiming yet another title. Topuria lived up to his promise of getting things done in the very first round against a legend like Charles Oliveira. ‘El Matador’ now reigns supreme as the lightweight champion, which has brought us to wonder about another important question: his pound-for-pound status.

Since October 2023, Islam Makhachev has reigned as the No.1 pound-for-pound fighter. He delivered some strong performances to earn that position, but in 2025, things are looking different. If Jon Jones had still been active, he might have been Dana White‘s pick for the best pound-for-pound fighter. But in the wake of his retirement, there is a strong case for Ilia Topuria to be at the top of that list, and if you’re wondering why, we have a few reasons to argue in favor of ‘El Matador’. So, let’s get started! Here’s the first one.

Ilia Topuria is undefeated and has wins in two divisions, unlike Islam Makhachev

The most striking distinction between Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev lies in their respective records. While the former boasts an unblemished record, the latter has only one defeat to his name throughout his entire career. Nonetheless, there are those who might contest this distinction, suggesting that Topuria could have an advantage in the pound-for-pound debate, as the difference isn’t particularly significant, especially considering Makhachev’s record of just one loss. However, when we examine their performances, ‘El Matador’ clearly stands out with his achievements across multiple divisions.

Yes, Islam Makhachev has now made the jump and will compete as a welterweight next. However, his fight against Jack Della Maddalena for the 170lbs title is not yet official, and there’s still time before the Dagestan native makes his debut in a new weight class. For Ilia Topuria, though, he’s done it in featherweight, where he won the title, and last Saturday, he achieved the same feat on his lightweight return. And guess what? The Georgian-born Spanish star achieved all that success in record time.

In addition to that, Ilia Topuria has also showcased the kind of versatility that a pound-for-pound top fighter tends to have. From grappling to striking, he’s been all over the place in his fights. After all, the earn the P4P king status, a fighter must display consistency, dominance, and zero blemishes, which is exactly what the 2-weight champion has showcased throughout his UFC run.

Well, Islam Makhachev has also earned the label of being a complete fighter himself, but all his success has happened in just one particular division, much like his mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov. But if you’re not convinced by that, here’s the next reason why Topuria should be the #1 pound-for-pound fighter.

Ilia Topuria has beaten an ex-P4P king in his prime

We all know that Ilia Topuria is the talk of the town, not only because of his second UFC divisional title win, but also because of his last three wins. The Georgian-Spaniard has been putting down one legend after the other, and it all started at UFC 298. Alexander Volkanovski, who gave Islam Makhachev a run for his money back at UFC 284, faltered in front of Topuria with a vicious knockout.

For many, Alexander Volkanovski, who recently reclaimed the featherweight title, is still one of the top-three pound-for-pound best, having topped the list before Islam Makhachev. Hence, a win over him does help in making a case for Ilia Topuria’s claim to the P4P top spot. But then again, ‘El Matador’ proceeded to make history at UFC 308 when he fought Max Holloway. ‘Blessed’ has been a mainstay of the 145lbs division, who boasts an exceptionally striking game.

Moreover, Max Holloway once called himself the greatest boxer in the UFC, and guess what? While he has registered some jaw-dropping knockouts, the fighter himself has never been knocked out by anyone in his career until he met Ilia Topuria. The 28-year-old became the first fighter to put Holloway to sleep, which itself is a pretty big achievement.

It was then that we arrived at last weekend’s UFC 317 PPV, where Topuria raised hell inside the Octagon once again. After two featherweight legends, Ilia Topuria defeated one of the most loved and fan-favorite fighters on the entire UFC roster in Charles Oliveira, silencing the critics who questioned him. Even Dana White seemed impressed with it as he responded to questions about him taking over Islam Makhachev’s top spot on the P4P list by saying, “He’s on a great 3-fight win streak for sure. All legends that he knocked out.”

Well, Ilia Topuria has set the standard very high for himself as we wait to see who he puts down next. The names he’s beaten are enough to put him in the P$P top spot. But to substantiate that a little more, here’s our final reason why ‘El Matador’ should be no.1.

Topuria has cleaner wins than Islam Makhachev

Islam Makhachev may be a complete fighter, but his wins aren’t always decisive. Out of his 16 UFC fights, 11 of them have come via finishes, but in some of those wins, the former lightweight champion was taken to the fourth round or fifth round. However, for Ilia Topuria, things are a bit different. The reigning lightweight champion has 9 UFC fights under his belt, with seven of them coming via finishes. And guess what? Topuria has only two fights that have gone to the judges.

Moreover, none of Ilia Topuria’s wins have been criticized or debated, unlike Islam Makhachev, who saw his first win over Alexander Volkanovski being scrutinized. Some people thought that maybe the judges robbed ‘The Great’ as he appeared to win more rounds than Khabib’s protégé. ‘El Matador’, on the other hand, has always looked flawless in his victories, and although he faced a bit of adversity against Jai Herbert, as he ate a nasty head kick in that fight, Topuria has looked relatively dominant against his opponents than the Dagestan native.

Dana White has always mentioned his take on the most important factor for P4P king status, which is to dominate opponents who are considered elite, wanting fighters to finish their opponents in style. He has stated in multiple pressers that, “You have to beat the best guys in the world and look good doing it.” Ilia Topuria has embodied that in all of his UFC victories, creating highlight-reel worthy, dominant, and clean performances. So, why can’t he be the number one pound-for-pound fighter?

Well, these reasons do make a case for Ilia Topuria’s admission into the top of the P4P list, but then again, others might disagree and have their own understanding of who should be no.1. So, what do you think about the Topuria vs Makhachev P4P debate? Whose side are you on?