UFC fighter Ilia Topuria continues to keep a close watch on a potential opponent many fans had hoped to see him challenge for the lightweight title.
However, that anticipated clash didn`t materialize as Islam Makhachev vacated his lightweight championship to move up to the welterweight division instead.
Following the outcome of UFC 315`s main event, where Jack Della Maddalena claimed the welterweight belt by defeating Belal Muhammad (at 170 lbs), the lightweight landscape saw significant shifts.
With Makhachev no longer in the lightweight picture, Topuria is now set to compete for the vacant title against Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 this weekend. `El Matador` is aiming to secure his second UFC championship.
Topuria still expresses hope for a future showdown with Makhachev. For the time being, though, the formidable task of potentially halting the pound-for-pound king and preventing him from equalling the UFC`s longest win streak record falls to Australia`s newly crowned champion.
Ilia Topuria Highlights Body Shots for Jack Della Maddalena Against Islam Makhachev
During the fight week leading up to UFC 317, Ilia Topuria made an appearance on Australia`s MAIN EVENT broadcast to discuss his upcoming bout with Charles Oliveira.
Given that `El Matador` had previously expressed a strong desire to face Islam Makhachev before the champion`s move up, the conversation naturally turned towards the Russian fighter`s future plans.
Having likely analyzed how he might approach a potential fight against Makhachev himself, Topuria was able to offer some specific strategic advice to Jack Della Maddalena.
Many observers believe Della Maddalena poses a significant challenge to the former lightweight champion, particularly after his impressive performance against Belal Muhammad.
Muhammad is well-known for his relentless forward pressure and wrestling proficiency, but the Australian fighter demonstrated solid preparation, successfully defending against 6 out of 9 takedown attempts.
Topuria`s advice to Della Maddalena and his team was singular but potentially crucial: he emphasized the vital importance of effectively targeting Makhachev`s body.
The advice is, he has to work straight body shots because that takes away the intention for the takedown. If he works with straight body shots, he`s going to stop his intention for the takedowns, and he`s doing a great job striking. I like how he fights.
Islam Makhachev`s Takedown History: When Was He Last Unable to Secure One?
Although Islam Makhachev did not land a takedown against Alexander Volkanovski in their rapid rematch (which isn`t surprising given the quick finish), he did complete 4 out of 9 attempts in their initial encounter.
The last opponent against whom Makhachev did not record a takedown was Davi Ramos back in 2019. However, even in that fight, Makhachev accumulated nearly five minutes of control time after scoring a knockdown and ultimately won by unanimous decision.
Similar to their preparations for facing Belal Muhammad, Jack Della Maddalena`s team should anticipate that the fight will likely involve ground exchanges at some point.
As Ilia Topuria suggested, the key challenge will be establishing a deterrent that discourages Makhachev from freely attempting takedowns and thus dictating the fight`s location.
Gareth Pendleton