"Makhachev has only one game. He is going to clinch you and take you down. And Topuria is a fighter with a lot of power. Not because he knocked me out. That was the hardest punch I ever felt. I've never seen his ground or clinch work."
"If they stay on the feet, I think [Ilia] knocks him out. If Islam gets hold of [Topuria], he will finish him. I think it's very very close. But for Islam to get a hold of him, he has to close the distance first, which is dangerous fighting Ilia."
Charles Oliveira fought both Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria and assesses them as very evenly matched. Makhachev relies primarily on clinch entries and wrestling takedowns that can lead to ground finishes. Topuria brings heavy knockout power on the feet and delivered the hardest punch Oliveira has experienced. Oliveira believes standing exchanges favor Topuria's power, while ground battles favor Makhachev's grappling. Closing distance for takedowns presents significant risk for Makhachev because of Topuria's one-punch finishing ability. Recent title movements saw Makhachev move up to welterweight and Topuria move up to lightweight to capture a vacant title.
Read at Sherdog
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