Following Ilia Topuria’s remarkable performances inside the octagon, the mixed martial arts community, including lead UFC commentator Jon Anik, has expressed astonishment at the new lightweight champion’s exceptional confidence and composed demeanor.
Topuria recently captured his second divisional championship by delivering a stunning knockout victory over former champion Charles Oliveira in the main event of UFC 317 held this past Saturday in Las Vegas. Jon Anik was part of the commentary team calling the action, alongside Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier.
Throughout the build-up to the fight, Topuria displayed unwavering certainty, acting as if the outcome was already decided. He even reportedly celebrated his title win the night before the event. Anik conveyed how utterly taken aback he is by Topuria`s entire approach.
“It is nuts, it’s like nothing I’ve seen before,” Anik told MMA Fighting. He acknowledged potential criticism for sounding overly enthusiastic but stressed that terms like “calm, cool, collected” don`t even begin to describe it. Anik characterized Topuria’s attitude as profoundly “matter of fact,” as if victory against Hall of Famer after Hall of Famer, and now a third, is simply an inevitability. He struggled to find a true comparison.
Anik noted that while there are many parallels to be drawn with Conor McGregor, even Topuria’s post-fight reaction – lacking the desire to jump on the cage – is striking. He cited Topuria’s statements about having already won “in camp” and just needing to “collect the belt,” contrasting this with the reality of still needing to perform on fight night. Anik drew a parallel to Floyd Mayweather, who was famously never flat on fight night during his 50-0 career, emphasizing that despite pre-fight confidence, execution is key. Yet, with Topuria, Anik felt, “it is almost as if he bends time.”
Topuria’s current run of three consecutive fights is arguably one of the best in UFC history. In February 2024, Topuria knocked out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 to claim the featherweight championship. Eight months later, “El Matador” became the first fighter ever to stop Max Holloway with strikes at UFC 308. He then followed this up by stopping Oliveira this past weekend.
The atmosphere in the arena immediately following the knockout was described as extraordinary. LFA flyweight Phumi Nkuta, who attended the event alongside Aljamain Sterling, noted that while the general fan sections erupted in excitement, the area populated by fighters was notably stoic, even appearing stunned.
Anik expressed no surprise regarding the reaction observed among Topuria’s fellow professional fighters.
“Just imagine if you are Islam Makhachev, Justin Gaethje, or Dustin Poirier, and you’re watching that play out,” Anik said. He considered how any fighter with recent history competing against Charles Oliveira since 2019 would react upon seeing that performance, stressing that this was still a prime Oliveira, as hungry as ever. Anik believes this perspective helps explain the stunned silence observed in the fighter section. While commentators maintained their professional duty, Anik felt many observers, like himself, would conclude that nothing seems beyond this guy’s capabilities. He added that he had doubted Topuria`s chances at welterweight before this result but now thinks, “my goodness, man, far be it for me to put anything past the guy.” He characterized Ilia Topuria as truly unique, suggesting his peers are certainly recognizing his exceptional talent.
A significant point of discussion following UFC 317 has been whether Ilia Topuria should now be considered the number one pound-for-pound fighter globally, potentially surpassing Islam Makhachev, who was the previous lightweight champion before vacating the belt for a move up to welterweight.
Anik acknowledged the subjective nature of pound-for-pound rankings. While many frame the debate as a contest primarily between two fighters, Anik believes a third fighter also warrants strong consideration.
“So it’s hard to lose your number one slot if you’re Islam Makhachev if you haven’t lost a fight,” Anik explained, “but is it not crazy that we live in a world right now in which if you go to UFC.com, Islam Makhachev is not a champion anymore?” He pondered what Makhachev could have done to not be a UFC undisputed champion at this moment. Anik stated it’s impossible to dispute Ilia Topuria’s accomplishments and very difficult to argue against what Merab Dvalishvili has achieved. He noted that Makhachev simply hasn`t competed as frequently as Dvalishvili or perhaps Topuria in recent months.
Anik described the situation as “splitting hairs,” considering it a “three-headed monster” consisting of Topuria, Merab Dvalishvili, and Makhachev (whom Anik had considered his long-time P4P #1). Comparing just Topuria and Merab, Anik felt both have fully capitalized on their opportunities and “maximized their utility.” He suggested that preference for knockouts might lean towards Topuria over Merab, but in terms of historical dominance and consistency, Merab is equally compelling.
