Renowned MMA coach Javier Mendez believes there’s a glaring weakness in Ilia Topuria’s game.
‘El Matador’ has enjoyed an ideal begin to his MMA profession, winning 17 consecutive fights and claiming UFC titles in two different divisions.
The previous featherweight king and current lightweight champion hopes he’ll get the possibility to make history by winning a 3rd title at welterweight – but first Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev will battle for that belt at UFC 322 on November 15.
Javier Mendez appears to have already began studying Ilia Topuria ahead of a possible fight together with his star pupil, Makhachev.
- LATEST NEWS: Islam Makhachev’s coach did something he never has to organize for Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322
Javier Mendez breaks down Ilia Topuria
Javier Mendez was recently asked how he would train a fighter to beat Ilia Topuria.
“I’d say with him, stay out of boxing range, 1 million percent,” he told the Know Time podcast.
“He’s got the perfect boxing within the business in MMA. He even thinks he can beat [Terence] Crawford, that’s how confident he’s in his boxing.
“Your big task is to maintain him away from you. And he’s got decent wrestling. From people I’ve spoken to who’ve trained with him, he’s got decent jiu jitsu also.”
The person who previously coached Khabib Nurmagomedov, Daniel Cormier, Cain Velasquez, and Luke Rockhold to UFC glory, went on to disclose the one flaw he’s been capable of find in Topuria’s game.
Mendez added: “So, he’s almost the entire package, but he’s not, he lacks within the kicking area.
“The weakest link on him can be the kicking area, after which you have got to check your grappling with him to see if yours is healthier than his. We’ve yet to see how great it’s. It’s not great, but we’ve yet to see how good it’s.”
Ilia Topuria’s UFC 322 warning
Ilia Topuria vs Islam Makhachev is arguably the largest fight that may be made in MMA.
It could completely disintegrate if Jack Della Maddalena can pull off the upset at UFC 322 next month.
Topuria has already told Makhachev their UFC superfight can be off if he fails to capture the 170lb strap.
“If Islam loses, he can return back to Dagestan, to his farm, and proceed herding sheep,” Topuria said at a recent press conference in Georgia.
“If he wins, I will certainly rise. Definitely, one hundred pc.”