Islam Makhachev lets feelings know about Ilia Topuria dethroning him as the P4P king: "They're doing it on purpose" 

Islam Makhachev recently shared his thoughts about Ilia Topuria leapfrogging him in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings. The shake-up came after Topuria beat Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 to claim the lightweight throne and two-division championship status.

Makhachev sees it as a calculated promotion from the UFC. The Dagestani, who was in attendance for the recently concluded UFC Abu Dhabi event, said:

"Well, it's marketing. They're doing it on purpose to promote this fight... So they do it right, and we'll be fighting for the #1 spot in the rankings."

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Several UFC analysts have shared their thoughts regarding the shakeup in the rankings. Daniel Cormier acknowledged Topuria's rise as justified for now. However, he left room for the tables to turn if Makhachev beats Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight belt.

Meanwhile, Din Thomas backed Topuria's status as the pound-for-pound best fighter. He pointed to his finishing ability and consistent performances against tougher opponents. Thomas even claimed that Topuria would beat Makhachev if they ever clash, referencing Makhachev’s struggles against Volkanovski.

Chael Sonnen, on the other hand, believes Topuria’s breakout success left the UFC no choice. Ranking him number one was the only way to reflect what he’s done across divisions.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov believes Jack Della Maddalena is tougher test for Islam Makhachev than Ilia Topuria

Khabib Nurmagomedov believes Jack Della Maddalena poses a bigger challenge for Islam Makhachev than Ilia Topuria. Makhachev is potentially moving up to welterweight later this year to face Della Maddalena in pursuit of two-division championship status.

While many fans hoped to see Makhachev defend his lightweight belt against Topuria, his focus has now shifted to the UFC welterweight champion. Della Maddalena remains unbeaten in the UFC and has steadily improved his grappling to match his sharp boxing.

Speaking about the challenges of facing Della Maddalena in a recent appearance on the Hustle Show, Nurmagomedov said:

"Maddalena is twice the size of Ilia. Taller, bigger, stronger legs, bigger frame. His boxing is just as good. And, in grappling, he scrambles really well if you’ve watched him. For me, if I was preparing Islam for either Ilia or Maddalena, I’d be more concerned about Maddalena."

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Edited by Abhishek Nambiar