“Life Savings on Ilia” – Fans Stunned over Islam Makhachev Being Favorite Against Ilia Topuria

Newly crowned lightweight champion Ilia Topuria opens as the betting underdog against pound-for-pound ace Islam Makhachev.

“Life Savings on Ilia” – Fans Stunned over Islam Makhachev Being Favorite Against Ilia Topuria

Islam is a betting favorite to beat Ilia Topuria (via Imago/X)

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At UFC 317, Ilia Topuria once again proved why he is one of the best fighters on the UFC roster. The Georgian-Spanish fighter captured the UFC lightweight championship by brutally knocking out Charles Oliveira in the very first round. As expected, he was immediately compared to current pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev, with fans debating a hypothetical super fight possibility.

After Topuria moved up to the lightweight division, fans were extremely hyped about him potentially fighting Makhachev. However, the Dagestani fighter shocked everyone by vacating his lightweight belt and chasing his long-time dream of becoming the welterweight champion. Now, with Topuria as the new champion Makhachev has surprisingly opened as the betting favorite against ‘El Matador.’

Topuria represents the new generation of UFC fighters and showcases incredible knockout power combined with exceptional grappling abilities inside the octagon. In his last three bouts, he has impressively knocked out legends like Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and now Oliveira.

His unmatched ability to predict fight outcomes has made him an immediate fan favorite and the newest superstar within the organization. It was really evident when the UFC uploaded his UFC 317 KO win on their YouTube channel.

Despite all that, fans are genuinely stunned to see Topuria listed as the underdog against Makhachev in a potential welterweight fight. Apart from that, Topuria has also revealed that the UFC has currently denied him the opportunity to move up in weight. However, given the huge pay-per-view potential, it wouldn’t be surprising if this super fight happens sometime soon.

Fight fans react to the viral betting odds between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria

Since winning the belt, Islam Makhachev has established dominance in the UFC by consistently defeating top-tier opponents across multiple weight divisions. His impressive wins include victories over Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, and Alexander Volkanovski, showcasing his adaptability and high fight IQ.

Makhachev’s grappling looks really unstoppable in the lightweight division. Moreover, his improvedd striking, and calm composure under pressure make him a nightmare for any fighter, regardless of their background.

Ilia Topuria knocks out Charles Oliveira
Ilia Topuria knocks out Charles Oliveira (via X)

On paper, Makhachev is the most successful lightweight champion with four title defenses, even more than Khabib Nurmagomedov. Currently, he has moved up to fight the newly crowned welterweight champion, Jack Della Maddalena. More surprisingly, Makhachev being the betting favorite against Ilia Topuria has brought out stunning reactions online.

Many fans were shocked about the odds being in favor of Makhachev despite Topuria’s incredibly dominant performance against Charles Oliveira. Topuria fans were hyped about the odds given that it’s easy for them to earn money by getting in the Georgian-Spanish. According to most, the ‘El Matador’ will knock out the Dagestani in the early rounds if they ever fight each other.

However, few fans were still ready to put their money on Makhachev due to his overall dominance. With Oliveira almost being able to take down Topuria, many believe Makhachev has a great chance of submitting the new lightweight champion.

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