1 Nightmare Matchup for UFC's Biggest Stars
There is some serious talent in the UFC right now.
If you look at Tapology's list of the sport's top fighters, it becomes quite evident: The promotion is currently home to multiple champions on incredible win streaks. In fact, a few of them—specifically Ilia Topuria and Khamzat Chimaev—have yet to lose a fight.
Of course, no fighter is unbeatable. While it's possible that several of the UFC's top fighters will retire before they lose, the more likely outcome is that most eventually get a rare taste of defeat.
Without further ado, here is one nightmare matchup for each of the UFC's premier fighters.
Ilia Topuria: Arman Tsarukyan
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Ilia Topuria is widely considered the best fighter in MMA right now, and for good reason. The Georgian-born Spaniard is the current UFC lightweight champion and former featherweight champion, and is riding a trio of stunning knockout wins over Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira—three of the greatest fighters ever. Those three victories have pushed his record to a phenomenal 17-0.
That doesn't mean he can't be beaten. The lightweight division is full of dangerous contenders, several of whom have the skills to derail the champion's momentum, as unlikely as it may seem. The contender with the best chance of doing so is clearly Arman Tsarukyan.
Tsarukyan, from Armenia, has been beaten before, but is currently riding a four-straight win streak—most notably a decision defeat of Charles Oliveira last year. His win over Oliveira in particular cemented what we already knew: that he's one of the best grapplers in MMA right now—perhaps good enough to ground a fearsome knockout artist like Topuria.
He may not get the opportunity to challenge Topuria next, having fallen out of the UFC's good graces after bailing on a title fight at the last minute earlier this year, but when he does, the champion will need to be well-prepared.
Islam Makhachev: Shavkat Rakhmonov
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If Ilia Topuria isn't the best fighter in MMA right now, it's clearly Russia's Islam Makhachev.
Makhachev, the chief protege of the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov, boasts one of the best streaks in the sport, highlighted by victories over legends such as Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira, and Alexander Volkanovski.
That being said, he has lost before—he was knocked out by Adriano Martins in 2015—and it's certainly possible it could happen again. In fact, another setback is more likely than ever, given that he recently vacated the lightweight title to move up to welterweight, where fights with far bigger and stronger opponents await.
Given his status as one of the sport's top fighters, Makhachev will challenge welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena for the title in his first fight in the division. That's certainly a tough fight, but probably not his toughest in the weight class. Instead, that distinction surely goes to Kazakhstan's Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Despite being plagued by injuries lately, Rakhmonov remains a staggering 19-0 as a professional. He's earned that incredible record—which includes wins over the likes of Ian Garry, Stephen Thompson, and Geoff Neal—with a terrifying blend of world-class grappling and deceptively good striking. As hard as it is to imagine, he is wholly capable of submitting Makhachev or knocking him out on the feet.
He needs the opportunity. Hopefully, he gets it soon.
Merab Dvalishvili: Cory Sandhagen
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Georgia's Merab Dvalishvili hasn't always been the most popular fighter in the UFC, but even his haters can't deny his talent. The reigning bantamweight champion has won 13 straight fights—including wins over world-class fighters in Sean O'Malley (twice), Umar Nurmagomedov, Henry Cejudo, Petr Yan, and Jose Aldo. That streak makes it very hard to imagine him losing, but it's possible.
In fact, it could happen in his very next fight, when he takes on Cory Sandhagen, who might be his worst stylistic matchup in the division.
Sandhagen could easily be out-grappled by Dvalishvili when they meet at UFC 320 on October 4. On the other hand, he has all the tools to beat the champ. Not only does he possess an underrated submission game that could catch Dvalishvili off guard on the mat, but he is also a tall, rangy striker with excellent timing. He's the underdog in the matchup for a reason, but he could easily catch the champion with a knee or uppercut—particularly in response to a takedown attempt—and knock him out cold to win the title.
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Khamzat Chimaev: Reinier De Ridder
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Russia's Khamzat Chimaev has long been one of the most hyped fighters in the UFC, and after dominating Dricus Du Plessis to win middleweight gold last month, he's finally got a belt to back up the hype. Now 15-0 overall, he has a greater air of invincibility than just about anybody, with the exception of Topuria and Makhachev. But no fighter is unbeatable.
The middleweight division is full of dangerous contenders right now, namely Nassourdine Imavov, Anthony Hernandez, and Reinier de Ridder. Any of those three men could shock the world by beating the champ. However, the latter seems to have the best chance of the bunch.
De Ridder, from the Netherlands, is a former two-division champ in ONE Championship, and after a decision win over Robert Whittaker earlier this summer, is now 4-0 in the UFC. If he beats Brendan Allen in his next fight, a scrap with Chimaev will almost certainly be next.
He'll be a big underdog in that potential title fight—like anybody who's matched up with Chimaev—but he could definitely win it. He is considerably bigger than the champion, and backs up his physical tools with some of the best jiu-jitsu in the division. In fact, his jiu-jitsu is so good that he could conceivably catch Chimaev something on the ground.
His chances of doing the unthinkable look even better when you consider his striking, which has improved significantly since he left ONE. Just ask Bo Nickal about that.
Alexandre Pantoja: Joshua Van
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UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja has some big shoes to fill, as his division was once home to one of the greatest fighters in MMA history, Demetrious Johnson. However, while he may never live up to Johnson's standard, he has already cemented himself as one of the best fighters in MMA right now, with four impressive title defenses in the rear-view mirror.
If anybody is going to beat Pantoja before he retires, it's probably his next challenger, Joshua Van.
Van's title fight with Pantoja isn't official yet, but it's all but guaranteed after he defeated Brandon Royval by decision on short notice in his last fight. Should he get the opportunity, he will have a great chance of dethroning the champion. That's thanks primarily to his striking. The Myanmar-born American boasts knockout power that we seldom see in the flyweight division, and he backs his natural power up with very slick striking skills.
At this point, it's well established that Pantoja has a granite chin, but that doesn't mean he can't be knocked out, and if anybody is going to make it happen, it's the hard-charging Van.
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