UFC and ESPN analyst Din Thomas was shocked by Ilia Topuria’s choice to vacate the featherweight title.
Working his manner up the ranks with an undefeated report, ‘El Matador’ launched himself from contender to celebrity in 2024 with a title-winning efficiency in opposition to Alexander Volkanovksi adopted by a formidable third-round knockout of division staple Max ‘Blessed’ Holloway at UFC 308 in October.
However simply when it appeared like Topuria was on the cusp of changing into the most effective ever at 145, he pulled the rug out from beneath his featherweight run.
As introduced by Dana White final month, Topuria opted to vacate his featherweight gold in hopes of conquering one other weight class. The UFC CEO additionally revealed that Topuria had been scuffling with the minimize all the way down to 145, prompting his bounce as much as light-weight.
Nevertheless, Thomas isn’t essentially shopping for these excuses for Topuria’s sudden choice to stroll away from the division he’s referred to as residence all through his total UFC run.
“It’s wild to me that he’s giving this up now,” Thomas advised MMA Junkie. “There’s no manner a man offers up pay-per-view factors and his standing as UFC champion, this quickly, for no obvious purpose, and no actual purpose apart from he can’t make the burden. I don’t essentially purchase that. He’s a younger man. It might be uncomfortable for him to make the burden, however I don’t essentially consider that he can’t make the burden.
“But if he wants to go up? Let him go up, but it comes from a place of just, that Jon Jones level of confidence, and maybe a bit of delusion that you have to have to be a good fighter. But to think that you are just going to give up the belt, and ‘No problem, I’ll just go get it at lightweight,’ is such a wild way, such a crazy, delusional way of thinking.”
Thomas Excited to See how far Ilia Topuria can go
Although Thomas nonetheless has his reservations concerning simply how excessive Ilia Topuria can go within the UFC, he’s blissful to be alongside for the experience and is 100% on board with ‘El Matador’ getting a direct crack at light-weight king Islam Makhachev.
“In order to be that good, you have to be that delusional,” Thomas stated. “Jon Jones is that delusional, he simply doesn’t suppose he could be beat. It’s a must to suppose that manner. There are lots of guys that suppose that manner, however they’re not that good. To suppose that manner and in addition be that good is loopy. However Ilia Topuria is that good.
“He thinks that way. But we’re living in wild times. We may be looking at somebody special. I don’t want to say he’s not just yet. If he is that dude, I’m glad to be a part of it. But I still have my reservations on that thought, because not many people are that good and are that delusional at the same time.”
