Final Combating Championship (UFC) CEO, Dana White, ended 2024 by saying he has one thing particular lined up for 2025. Whereas nothing has been revealed for the time being concerning that exact nugget, there are a number of juicy bouts that await us within the new 12 months, with most struggle followers salivating for a highly-anticipated Heavyweight title struggle between champion Jon Jones and interim title holder, Tom Aspinall.
However in line with former UFC champ-champ, Henry Cejudo, there’s one other title struggle that might be even larger.
“I personally imagine that (Makhachev vs. Topuria) might probably be larger than Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall,” Cejudo mentioned on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast (through MMA Junkie). “Competitively, in fact, man. It’s not simply that – it’s the easy incontrovertible fact that Ilia Topuria has an opportunity to turn out to be champ-champ,” mentioned “Triple C” a few potential champion vs. champion struggle.
After all, Topuria — who at the moment guidelines the Featherweight division — expressed his want to maneuver as much as Light-weight, the place Islam Makhachev is king. If that struggle involves go and Topuria comes out on prime, Cejudo believes that will be a much bigger information headline than crowning an undisputed champion at 265 kilos.
“The heavyweight division, we’ll simply know who’s the true undisputed champion. However on this place, if Ilia does win, that places him in a class of, f*ck, you beat the previous pound-for-pound (finest) in (Alexander) Volkanovski, you’re beating the present pound-for-pound in a man like Islam Makhachev. Give him his flowers.”
Topuria is at the moment undefeated at 16-0, which incorporates going 8-0 contained in the Octagon, defeating Alexander Volkanovski through knockout at UFC 298 to win the 145-pound strap, after which efficiently defending the belt by turning into the primary man to knockout Max Holloway at UFC 309 (see it once more right here).
Makhachev, in the meantime, is 26-1 with three straight title defenses, which was adequate to permit him to take over the No. 1 spot on the pound-for-pound-rankings over Jon Jones. Talking of “Bones,” he made his highly-anticipated return final month at UFC 309 by knocking out Stipe Miocic within the third spherical (highlights).
As for Aspinall, he’s been lobbying for a struggle with Jones for some time now, and was final seen knocking out Curtis Blaydes in 60 seconds at UFC 304, his third straight win. Jones hasn’t been too wanting to grant the bruising Brit his needs, but when Dana White and Co. come right with the money provide, that struggle might occur in summer season 2025.
That mentioned, do you facet with Cejudo’s stance of a possible Topuria vs. Makhachev struggle dwarfing that Heavyweight collision?
