Demetrious Johnson gives surprising early prediction for Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev superfight

Topuria said after the fight that he didn’t expect the match-up to materialise, but also made it clear his next goal was to become the first three-division UFC champion. He told TMZ Sports that the ideal scenario would be for Makhachev to win the welterweight belt before they meet.

“I would love to see Islam getting the title, and the UFC letting me go up to 170 and getting the third belt,” he said.

Demetrious Johnson, one of the sport’s greats, has already weighed in on how he sees the hypothetical clash playing out. He believes Makhachev would win the fight.

“I think it would be Islam because I think Islam’s gonna approach it differently, it’s hard,” Johnson told Submission Radio.

“Islam’s a southpaw so he’s probably gonna throw body kicks and keep his arms busy and keep the distance. Move, feint, maybe use some Judo to take him down and try and get him to the ground and try to submit him.

“But once again, I have to see what Islam does to (Jack Della Maddalena) but I know the one factor is that Ilia is always gonna focus on getting to the right spot and fighting his opponents. When he gets there he’s gonna unload. If Ilia can’t get there then he’s gonna figure out another way.”

Could Ilia Topuria retire with one of the greatest legacies in UFC history?

At just 28 years old, Topuria is already building a résumé that could put him among the sport’s all-time greats. He’s scored knockout wins over names like Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira – and he’s still undefeated at 17-0.

If he keeps winning – and especially if he manages to capture a third belt – Topuria could end up with one of the most impressive legacies the UFC has ever seen.