Finally! UFC head honcho Dana White has finally announced the main event for International Fight Week. While it was already known that Ilia Topuria would be part of it, the big reveal confirms that Islam Makhachev is indeed moving up to face Jack Della Maddalena at welterweight, after the Aussie was declared victorious at UFC 315. Psst… he’s leaving the lightweight belt vacant. Meanwhile, Charles Oliveira’s long-held desire to fight for the title again, after several setbacks, is finally becoming a reality. But this sets up a burning question: Who knocks out whom?

Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira has fireworks written all over it! Both are elite strikers and equally dangerous on the ground. The Georgian-Spaniard boasts a Greco-Roman wrestling base, while the Brazilian is, without question, the most accomplished submission artist in UFC history. With just over a month to go until the highly anticipated UFC 317 main event, predictions are flying left, right, and center. Among the many voices weighing in, a prominent member of Team Khabib has also shared his thoughts.

Ali Abdelaziz, Islam Makhachev’s manager, told Submission Radio: “Yeah, I think he beats Charles! I think he’d knock Charles Out! Stylistically, I think he’d beat Charles. But you never know. He almost lost to Jai Herbert. Almost got knocked out by Jai Herbert. MMA is crazy. He went five rounds with what’s his name? Three rounds with Youssef Zelal, and five rounds with the guy from Alpha Male, Josh Emmett.” He further added, “But, in a way, these guys will go to five rounds or three rounds with Islam? Of course not. Styles make fights, he’s an amazing fighter. He has dynamite in both hands. He can grapple, he can wrestle, if I didn’t say that, I’d be lying. Ilia Topuria is a great fighter.”

That’s definitely a fair assessment by Ali. While the lightweight division presents new challenges, it’s worth noting that his earlier fights against Youssef Zalal and Jai Herbert came during the early stages of ‘El Matador’s’ career. Ilia Topuria has showcased incredible knockout power, most notably against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 and Max Holloway at UFC 308, which makes his rise even more impressive. And since then, he’s evolved into a true legend slayer.

As for the Josh Emmett fight going five rounds, Topuria smartly avoided major shots, something any seasoned fighter would do. Still, despite acknowledging ‘El Matador’s elite skill set, Dominance MMA founder Ali Abdelaziz believes Islam Makhachev would beat him.

Whether Ilia Topuria would’ve knocked Islam Makhachev out or not is something we may never know, and it’s still unclear if we’ll ever get to see that fight happen. But the callouts haven’t stopped, even as the current 155 lbs kingpin has decided to move up without holding onto his belt. So, let’s see how things continue to escalate from both sides.

Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria share verbal jabs on X

Ilia Topuria has never missed an opportunity to throw shade at Islam Makhachev when he emerged as a potential challenger for the lightweight title. Now, with both fighters seemingly heading down separate paths, one might have expected some calm between them, but that couldn’t be more wrong! While they haven’t had the chance to share the cage yet, social media has become their battleground, where both are relentlessly trying to tear each other down with words.

Islam Makhachev wrote on X: “Difference between me and you, that I cleaned the top list in my division, moved to next, but you ran away from two contenders who had consecutive 5-9 wins in FW division. You are nobody in the LW division, just a big mouth from Spain with a nice haircut. Go get one W, and we can talk boy.” The soon-to-be former lightweight champion has taken aim at what many consider a premature exit by Ilia Topuria from the featherweight division. His jab, calling Topuria the “big mouth from Spain,” might be one of the most brutal lines Topuria has faced in his UFC career. But the Georgian-Spaniard is not one to let insults slide.

True to form, he fired back with even more verbal gunpowder. Former 145 lbs king replied: “The difference between you and me is that I am a man and you are a coward. I speak and fight. you talk and hide. Run away far, leaving no trace.”  

It’s definitely a loss for MMA fans that we’ve yet to witness this clash. The growing animosity between Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev has only fueled anticipation, making the potential matchup even more electrifying. But all hope is not lost, ‘El Matador’ and the Dagestani juggernaut could still collide one day inside the Octagon. That being said, who do you think has won this war of words so far? And more importantly, what’s your prediction for Topuria vs. Oliveira?