{"id":54926,"date":"2025-05-19T17:56:28","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T16:56:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/?p=54926"},"modified":"2025-05-19T17:56:35","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T16:56:35","slug":"did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/","title":{"rendered":"Did UFC Fumble Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev? Combat Sports Analysts Break It Down"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev showdown was arguably the most anticipated fight of 2025, outside of Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall, and there was a ton of hype in the first 4 months this year, however, the fans are now left with disappointment as both the fighters are headed in different directions. <\/p><p>Islam Makhachev, former lightweight title holder, has moved up to the welterweight division and will now face Jack Della Maddalena for the strap. Whereas, Ilia Topuria will now take on Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 317, on June 28, 2025. While both the superstars are fighting formidable opponents, there is no question that Makhachev vs. Topuria was the fight that everyone wanted to see. So what changed?<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Ilia Topuria has gone IN on Islam Makhachev for moving up to 170 lbs &#128556;&#128101;<br><br>&#127897;&#65039; via <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KOlmeneroMMA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>@KOlmeneroMMA<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SVd5GQj106\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>pic.twitter.com\/SVd5GQj106<\/a><\/p>&mdash; UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ufcontnt\/status\/1922998519247294910?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>May 15, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure><p>Also Read: <a href=\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/sean-strickland-sounds-off-on-khamzat-chimaev-believes-dricus-du-plessis-has-the-tools-to-win\/\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'><strong>Sean Strickland Sounds Off On Khamzat Chimaev, Believes Dricus Du Plessis Has The Tools To Win<\/strong><\/a><\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Didn&rsquo;t the Fight Between Makhachev and Topuria Happen?<\/h2><p>Islam Makhachev had little to no intentions of fighting another former featherweight fighter who had just moved up, and his ambitions were to become the double champ of both the welterweight and the lightweight divisions. In Makhachev&rsquo;s opinion he felt like he had done enough in the lightweight division and had nothing else to prove at 155 pounds. Meanwhile, Topuria vacated the featherweight belt to challenge Makhachev for the lightweight belt, but surprisingly he never got to face the Russian inside the Octagon. <\/p><p>Now that both fighters are headed in their own directions, this begs the question, did the UFC fumble a blockbuster fight between two of the best superstars in the UFC? Here is what combat sport analysts had to say.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Ilia Topuria claps right back at Islam Makhachev <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ctUG1xWvnl\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>pic.twitter.com\/ctUG1xWvnl<\/a><\/p>&mdash; MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MMAFighting\/status\/1923036739444023374?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>May 15, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell Believes That the UFC Missed the Boat on Ilia vs. Islam<\/h2><p>Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell, combat sports analysts and writer, believe that the UFC <strong><em>&ldquo;Missed the boat,&rdquo;<\/em><\/strong> on a potential blockbuster fight between Topuria and Makhachev. <strong><em>&ldquo;It is always going to be better, when the title is taken or defended. It&rsquo;s going to be better for the fans. It&rsquo;s probably going to be better for the fight itself. It is definitely going to be better for the sport and the division.&rdquo;<\/em><\/strong> Thomas said on the Morning Kombat Podcast. <strong><em>&ldquo;Conor (McGregor) had the title and had it stripped&hellip; Every one of the cases, it had to be handed to the next person&hellip; They didn&rsquo;t win it off of the other fighter. The UFC had to administratively put it up for grabs again&hellip; I understand that we haven&rsquo;t necessarily lost Islam vs. Ilia forever. There&rsquo;s a good chance that we have.&rdquo;<\/em><\/strong><\/p><p>Brian Campbell further added to Thomas&rsquo; argument stating, <strong><em>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t understand Islam not staying and taking care of this first. I think part of him wanted to go up, it&rsquo;s not just that Islam&rsquo;s 33 and he wants to carve out his own legacy as not just Khabib&rsquo;s (Nurmagomedov) boy but a two division champion. Topuria having followed the Conor McGregor lead on basically all of his career decision making. What if he stops Charles Oliveira? Isn&rsquo;t he just gonna call out Islam right after? And the idea of Islam wins the 170 title from JDM (Jack Della Maddalena) that we have a potential to get that fight next, or maybe even if Islam loses the title at welterweight and says &lsquo;F- it, I&rsquo;m going down to get belt back.&rsquo; It&rsquo;s a big what if.&rdquo;<\/em><\/strong><\/p><blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DJ1Z3CPRd8o\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DJ1Z3CPRd8o\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewbox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DJ1Z3CPRd8o\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>A post shared by Morning Kombat (@morningkombat)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><p>There is still a slight chance that the fight happens again, but it is by no means a sure thing for now. If you ask us, we believe that this was going to be the biggest fight since Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov, which happened in October of 2018, 7 years ago! For now we&rsquo;ll still get to see Topuria take on Oliveira for the lightweight title, and Makhachev take on Maddalena for the welterweight title. Will that be enough to keep the fans entertained? Maybe. But there is no doubt that the Makhachev vs. Topuria fight was going to be a lot bigger than both of these fights combined, given what was at stake.<\/p><p>Also Read: <a href=\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/jon-jones-questions-ufcs-silence-on-plans-he-communicated-long-ago\/\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'><strong>Jon Jones Questions UFC&rsquo;s Silence On Plans He Communicated Long Ago!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"mm-layout mm-layout-type-post mm-layout-slot4\">\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev showdown was arguably the most anticipated fight of 2025, outside of Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall, and there was a ton of hype in the first 4 months this year, however, the fans are now left with disappointment as both the fighters are headed in different directions. Islam Makhachev, former [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":54928,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_mux_skip_reasons":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1783],"tags":[1963,1821,1983],"class_list":["post-54926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mma","tag-ilia-topuria","tag-islam-makhachev","tag-ufc"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Did UFC Fumble Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev? Combat Sports Analysts Break It Down - The Playoffs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Did the UFC miss a blockbuster opportunity by not booking Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev? Combat sports analysts weigh in on the potential super fight.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Did UFC Fumble Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev? Combat Sports Analysts Break It Down - The Playoffs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Did the UFC miss a blockbuster opportunity by not booking Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev? Combat sports analysts weigh in on the potential super fight.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Playoffs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-19T17:56:35+01:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/USATSI_22553421_168416100_lowres-1-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Eric Divakaran\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/x.com\/EricHar44584857\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ThePlayoffsEN\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Eric Divakaran\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Eric Divakaran\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/98ac2e1774499fd4d7a7e37d04514940\"},\"headline\":\"Did UFC Fumble Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev? Combat Sports Analysts Break It Down\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-19T16:56:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-19T16:56:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/\"},\"wordCount\":732,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.theplayoffs.news\/en\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/USATSI_22553421_168416100_lowres-1-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Ilia Topuria\",\"Islam Makhachev\",\"UFC\"],\"articleSection\":[\"MMA\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2025\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/\",\"name\":\"Did UFC Fumble Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev? Combat Sports Analysts Break It Down - The Playoffs\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.theplayoffs.news\/en\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/USATSI_22553421_168416100_lowres-1-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-19T16:56:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-19T16:56:35+00:00\",\"description\":\"Did the UFC miss a blockbuster opportunity by not booking Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev? Combat sports analysts weigh in on the potential super fight.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cdn.theplayoffs.news\/en\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/USATSI_22553421_168416100_lowres-1-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.theplayoffs.news\/en\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/USATSI_22553421_168416100_lowres-1-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707,\"caption\":\"Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Did UFC Fumble Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev? Combat Sports Analysts Break It Down\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/\",\"name\":\"The Playoffs\",\"description\":\"Share passion for sports &amp; betting\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/#organization\",\"name\":\"The Playoffs\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/selo-tp-2020-415x280-1.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/selo-tp-2020-415x280-1.webp\",\"width\":415,\"height\":280,\"caption\":\"The Playoffs\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/x.com\/ThePlayoffsEN\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/theplayoffs_en\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/98ac2e1774499fd4d7a7e37d04514940\",\"name\":\"Eric Divakaran\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/03dc79e73261aa5431bf3c6402ac8014?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/03dc79e73261aa5431bf3c6402ac8014?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Eric Divakaran\"},\"description\":\"I cover the National Football League and things cannot get better than that. I always dreamed to play football or basketball professionally since I\\\\'m built like a Running Back. But now that I can\\\\'t, since I\\\\'m technically in the \\\\\\\"Unc\\\\\\\" age, I thought why not pick a career in sports industry? So here I am, doing what I love, and hoping that the Commanders win the Super Bowl. I give love to players when it\\\\'s due, but can be critical about their performances at the same time. Enough about me, now let my articles do all the talking.\u00a0\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ericaintthatcooked\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/x.com\/EricHar44584857\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/author\/eric-divakaran\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Did UFC Fumble Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev? Combat Sports Analysts Break It Down - The Playoffs","description":"Did the UFC miss a blockbuster opportunity by not booking Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev? Combat sports analysts weigh in on the potential super fight.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Did UFC Fumble Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev? Combat Sports Analysts Break It Down - The Playoffs","og_description":"Did the UFC miss a blockbuster opportunity by not booking Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev? Combat sports analysts weigh in on the potential super fight.","og_url":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/","og_site_name":"The Playoffs","article_modified_time":"2025-05-19T16:56:35+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/USATSI_22553421_168416100_lowres-1-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Eric Divakaran","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@https:\/\/x.com\/EricHar44584857","twitter_site":"@ThePlayoffsEN","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Eric Divakaran","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/"},"author":{"name":"Eric Divakaran","@id":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/98ac2e1774499fd4d7a7e37d04514940"},"headline":"Did UFC Fumble Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev? Combat Sports Analysts Break It Down","datePublished":"2025-05-19T16:56:28+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-19T16:56:35+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/"},"wordCount":732,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.theplayoffs.news\/en\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/USATSI_22553421_168416100_lowres-1-scaled.jpg","keywords":["Ilia Topuria","Islam Makhachev","UFC"],"articleSection":["MMA"],"inLanguage":"en-US","copyrightYear":"2025","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/","url":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/","name":"Did UFC Fumble Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev? Combat Sports Analysts Break It Down - The Playoffs","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.theplayoffs.news\/en\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/USATSI_22553421_168416100_lowres-1-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2025-05-19T16:56:28+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-19T16:56:35+00:00","description":"Did the UFC miss a blockbuster opportunity by not booking Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev? Combat sports analysts weigh in on the potential super fight.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/cdn.theplayoffs.news\/en\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/USATSI_22553421_168416100_lowres-1-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.theplayoffs.news\/en\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/USATSI_22553421_168416100_lowres-1-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707,"caption":"Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/did-ufc-fumble-ilia-topuria-vs-islam-makhachev-combat-sports-analysts-break-it-down\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Did UFC Fumble Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev? Combat Sports Analysts Break It Down"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/","name":"The Playoffs","description":"Share passion for sports &amp; betting","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/#organization","name":"The Playoffs","url":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/selo-tp-2020-415x280-1.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/selo-tp-2020-415x280-1.webp","width":415,"height":280,"caption":"The Playoffs"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/ThePlayoffsEN","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/theplayoffs_en\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/98ac2e1774499fd4d7a7e37d04514940","name":"Eric Divakaran","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/03dc79e73261aa5431bf3c6402ac8014?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/03dc79e73261aa5431bf3c6402ac8014?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Eric Divakaran"},"description":"I cover the National Football League and things cannot get better than that. I always dreamed to play football or basketball professionally since I\\'m built like a Running Back. But now that I can\\'t, since I\\'m technically in the \\\"Unc\\\" age, I thought why not pick a career in sports industry? So here I am, doing what I love, and hoping that the Commanders win the Super Bowl. I give love to players when it\\'s due, but can be critical about their performances at the same time. Enough about me, now let my articles do all the talking.\u00a0","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ericaintthatcooked\/","https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/x.com\/EricHar44584857"],"url":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/author\/eric-divakaran\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54926"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54926"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54926\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54946,"href":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54926\/revisions\/54946"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54928"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}