Ilia Topuria Tougher Matchup for Islam Makhachev than Jack Della Maddalena, Claims Arman Tsarukyan

Arman Tsarukyan talks about Ilia Topuria potentially fighting with Islam Makhachev following the Jack Della Maddalena bout.

Ilia Topuria Tougher Matchup for Islam Makhachev than Jack Della Maddalena, Claims Arman Tsarukyan

Arman Tsarukyan shares his opinion on Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria (via X)

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Islam Makhachev made history by becoming the 11th UFC fighter to capture championships in two divisions after dominating Jack Della Maddalena. He controlled the entire five-round contest with relentless pressure and secured a clear unanimous decision victory without facing significant danger.

Despite this relatively smooth performance, many experts believe Ilia Topuria could present a far tougher challenge for the dominant Dagestani champion. Top lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan praised Islam Makhachev’s performance, emphasizing how clinical and composed the champion looked throughout the fight.

He also compared Della Maddalena and Ilia Topuria, highlighting clear stylistic differences between the two fighters.  According to Tsarukyan, Topuria possesses more versatile tools than Della Maddalena, making that matchup significantly more competitive for Makhachev in the future.

I think the Ilia fight is going to be much harder than against Maddalena. Because of his anthropometry, I think that Ilia packs a much harder punch than Maddalena. Maddalena has fewer knockdowns than Ilia. Ilia dropped almost every opponent he fought.

Arman Tsarukyan via The Red Corner MMA 

Going into the fight, Della Maddalena felt confident in his striking abilities and fully intended to knock out Makhachev. However, from the opening moments, the Dagestani champion relied on relentless kicks that effectively chopped down Della Maddalena’s legs.

Additionally, Makhachev’s dominant takedowns proved overwhelming, making it impossible for the former champion to generate meaningful offense or break through consistently. Following the bout, Ilia Topuria criticized Della Maddalena’s ground game in a post on X and mocked Makhachev’s approach.

Many fans also complained that the Dagestani champion focused heavily on control time instead of securing a definitive finish. Meanwhile, Topuria is widely known for delivering massive knockout victories against elite opponents, including Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira. 

With the win, Makhachev claimed the pound-for-pound number one spot from Ilia Topuria and is prepared for the White House event. His coach, Javier Mendez, expressed confidence that they will face Topuria soon and emphasized their readiness for the upcoming challenge. Many fans strongly believe only the dangerous “El Matador” possesses the necessary skillset to potentially defeat Makhachev.

Arman Tsarukyan is ready to fight Ilia Topuria next 

Arman Tsarukyan is currently preparing to face Dan Hooker in the UFC Qatar main event and enters as the betting favorite. The growing rivalry between the fighters has intensified significantly, with heated trash talk raising the overall stakes of the matchup. Tsarukyan believes defeating Hooker convincingly will secure his second opportunity to compete for the lightweight championship next.

Arman Tsarukyan wants to fight Ilia Topuria
Arman Tsarukyan wants to fight Ilia Topuria (via X)

He views this fight as a crucial stepping stone toward challenging Ilia Topuria, who currently holds the championship. With the Georgian-Spanish champion potentially headlining the inaugural UFC Paramount event in January, Tsarukyan remains fully focused on rapid progress. He has already expressed readiness for a quick turnaround, emphasizing his exceptional conditioning and determination to seize every available opportunity.

No, I don’t wanna wait. If I perform very well and the UFC says, ‘Can you fight in January?’ I’ll take that fight right away.

Arman Tsarukyan via MMA Fighting 

Arman Tsarukyan and Ilia Topuria have traded numerous online insults, building a heated rivalry that continues to gain significant fan attention. Despite the verbal exchanges, Tsarukyan insists he holds nothing personal against Topuria and simply wants to challenge the champion competitively.

He remains eager to fight El Matador, believing their contrasting styles would create an exciting and highly marketable championship matchup. However, current discussions suggest Paddy Pimblett or Justin Gaethje might be next in line for the lightweight title opportunity instead. It will be interesting to see which contender ultimately earns the next championship battle as the lightweight division evolves.

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