Colby Covington names the 'perfect fighter' to neutralize Islam Makhachev's wrestling threat

Islam Makhachev (pictured) is considered one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. [Image courtesy: Getty Images]
Islam Makhachev (pictured) is considered one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. [Image courtesy: Getty Images]

Islam Makhachev's grappling seems to be an enigma that transcends weight classes. After ruling the lightweight division with an iron fist, the sambo maestro has now captured the welterweight crown, breaking Jack Della Maddalena with grueling, relentless wrestling at UFC 322.

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Former interim champion Colby Covington sees only one path to victory over Makhachev: stuff his takedowns and deny him the luxury of over-relying on his wrestling. The same approach helped Alexander Volkanovski realize much success against the pound-for-pound king in their first fight.

That said, 'Chaos' doesn't think it'd be one of the seasoned welterweights that would give Makhachev a run for his money. During a recent interview with The Schmo, Covington picked reigning lightweight champion Ilia Topuria as the ideal opponent to test Makhachev:

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"You are going to have to stuff his takedowns and make him work like Volkanovski did in that first fight. Stuff the takedowns and brawl with him. I think Topuria is the perfect fight for him. I think that fight needs to happen. Topuria has a low center of gravity, so he's going to be very hard to take down. When [Makhachev] is not taking him down, [Topuria] is going to be punching him with all he's got. So, I'm hoping that the UFC makes that fight next."
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Check out Colby Covington's comments on Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria below:

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Ilia Topuria envisions KO over Islam Makhachev

It looks like Colby Covington might get what he wants, as Ilia Topuria seems more eager than ever to get his hands on Islam Makhachev.

While 'El Matador' has long been game to chase Makhachev to 170 pounds, his rival's recent crowning as the welterweight champion appears to have lit a fire of urgency in the Georgian-born Spaniard's belly.

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Reacting to the Dagestani's dominant win over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322, Topuria wrote on X:

"Jack needs an entire camp dedicated just to wrestling. What a disappointment of a champion. You should go to Georgia to learn something. Islam, you need something you can’t train: emotion. You’re the most boring thing in this game. Every day, I’m more certain I put you to sleep."

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Edited by Ujwal Jain
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