“That’s A Beautiful Matchup” - Demetrious Johnson Picks Ilia Topuria vs. Magomed Zaynukov
Demetrious Johnson wants Ilia Topuria to face Magomed Zaynukov next.
After a dominant win at the Dana White Contender Series, Magomed Zaynukov delivered another dominant performance, this time on his UFC debut, where the 31-year-old won via decision against Damian Rzepecki. Since his win, fans have been praising him a lot and already putting ‘Chanko’ in the future title contender conversation.
Fans have also been buzzing about a future matchup between the ‘Chanco’ vs Ilia Topuria. The matchup makes a lot of sense too, considering the 31-year-old trains under Team Khabib, and Topuria has had his share of problems with Islam Makhachev. Now MMA legend Demetrious Johnson has thrown his name into the conversation as well.
Demetrious Johnson Wants To See Ilia Topuria Face Magomed Zaynukov
Despite the tough loss to Justin Gaethje, Demetrious Johnson thinks Ilia Topuria has no shortage of big fights waiting for him. Most people assume the Spanish fighter will go straight after a rematch with Gaethje, but Johnson has a different idea in mind for ‘El Matador.’
‘Mighty Mouse’ thinks a fight between Zaynukov and the former lightweight champion would be something special and made it clear he wants to see it happen. He spoke about it in a recent YouTube video, where the former UFC flyweight champion said:
“I love that fight between Ilia and Chanko. That’s a beautiful matchup. I love that fight. That’s a beautiful matchup. It’s interesting because Topuria is coming off a loss to Justin Gaethje, and there are a lot of great fights for him at 155 and 145.”
Meanwhile, the Dagestani fighter just entered the UFC and has a very long way to go. Fans definitely want to see him tested against other big fighters as well, like Arman Tsarukyan, Paddy Pimblett, and others. However, ‘Chanko’ received a lot of appreciation from his teammates, including Khabib Nurmagomedov, for his recent UFC win.
Magomed Zaynukov Pays Emotional Tribute To Mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov
It was a decision win for Zaynukov against Damian Rzepecki at UFC Abu Dhabi, but it was a one-sided domination. After the win, Nurmagomedov praised the lightweight star’s struggles and congratulated him on his debut victory.
Replying to that, ‘Chanco’ said Nurmagomedov’s guidance has helped him grow not only as a fighter but also as a person, and praised Khabib for constantly sharing his experience. Fans now expect him to be an active fighter and rise fast through the UFC rankings.
