While Ilia Topuria`s abilities within the octagon are clearly remarkable, it`s the new lightweight champion`s incredible self-assurance and demeanor that have truly captivated the mixed martial arts community, including prominent UFC commentator Jon Anik.
Topuria secured what the text notes as his second divisional championship with a spectacular knockout of former titleholder Charles Oliveira during the main event of UFC 317 this past Saturday. Jon Anik was among the commentary team in Las Vegas, calling the fight alongside Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier.
Throughout the period leading up to the bout, Topuria conducted himself as though victory was already guaranteed, reportedly even celebrating the win the night before the event. Anik confessed he has been utterly blown away by every aspect of Topuria`s approach.
“It`s wild, genuinely unlike anything I`ve ever witnessed,” Anik stated. He acknowledged that he might sometimes be perceived as overly enthusiastic but insisted that words like “calm, cool, and collected” don`t adequately describe Topuria. Anik explained that Topuria speaks with such certainty, as if the outcome against multiple future Hall of Famers is simply an inevitability, leaving him struggling to find a suitable comparison.
Anik noted that while there are definite parallels to be drawn with Conor McGregor`s famed confidence, Topuria`s post-fight reaction is different – “he doesn`t even have the urge to jump on the cage.” He found the pre-fight celebration particularly extraordinary. Anik reflected on instances where an athlete claims, “I`m just going to pick up the belt, I won it in training camp,” musing that you still have to perform on fight night and cannot afford to underperform.
He drew a comparison to Floyd Mayweather, for whom the saying “50-0 is 50-0, he was never flat on fight night” was common. You still have to go out and execute. Yet, with Topuria, Anik felt it was “almost as if he bends time” with his consistent, peak performance.
Topuria`s recent three-fight run stands out as one of the most impressive in UFC history. In February 2024, he knocked out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 to claim the featherweight championship. Eight months later, “El Matador” became the first fighter ever to finish Max Holloway via strikes at UFC 308. He then followed that by stopping Oliveira just last weekend.
The atmosphere in the arena immediately after the knockout was exceptional. LFA flyweight Phumi Nkuta, who attended with Aljamain Sterling, reportedly observed that while the fan sections erupted in pandemonium, the area populated by fighters remained unusually quiet – even stunned.
Anik wasn`t surprised by this reaction from Topuria`s fellow competitors.
“Just imagine being Islam Makhachev, Justin Gaethje, or Dustin Poirier, watching that happen,” Anik suggested. “Consider any fighter with recent history against Charles Oliveira since, say, 2019, and then seeing *that*. And let`s be clear, this was Charles Oliveira in his prime. If this were `The Hunger Games,` he`d still be leading the pack.”
Anik continued, noting that Oliveira remains intensely driven to compete. “So, picture the effect on some of Ilia Topuria`s contemporaries witnessing that. I believe that`s why the fighter section was stunned. Fortunately, as commentators, we were anything but silent; we had our job to do. But for many fans, and for me, it makes you think, `Wow, I won`t doubt this guy again.` I confess I wasn`t confident about his prospects at welterweight before this result, and now I realize I absolutely should not underestimate him in any scenario… This Ilia Topuria, he`s truly unique, and his fellow fighters are certainly taking note.”
Naturally, a major point of discussion following UFC 317 is whether Topuria now deserves the top spot in the pound-for-pound rankings, potentially ahead of Islam Makhachev, the former lightweight champion who reportedly vacated his belt to move up to welterweight.
Anik understands that pound-for-pound rankings are subjective, but while many frame the debate as a two-person race, Anik argues a third fighter belongs in the conversation.
“It`s tough for Islam Makhachev to lose his number one spot without losing a fight, yet isn`t it remarkable that his official status on UFC.com is no longer champion?” Anik pondered. “What could he possibly have done to not hold the title of undisputed UFC champion right now? On the other hand, it`s impossible to dispute Ilia Topuria`s achievements. It`s also very hard to dismiss Merab Dvalishvili`s accomplishments. And Islam simply hasn`t competed as frequently in recent months as Merab, or perhaps Ilia.”
Anik concluded, “Frankly, it`s a matter of splitting hairs. In my view, it`s a three-way contest at the very top. But if you focus solely on Ilia and Merab, putting Makhachev aside for a moment – even though he`s been my number one pound-for-pound fighter for what feels like half a decade – both Topuria and Dvalishvili have fully maximized their opportunities. If you appreciate spectacular knockouts, Topuria is likely your pick over Merab. However, when considering consistent, historical dominance, Merab is absolutely right there in the discussion.”
Wesley Dunham