Jorge Climent, coach of Ilyia Topuria: “Islam Makhachev is the ideal rival”

Once the horizon of the first numbered events of the year at the UFC is clear, it is necessary to establish the main fighting of UFC 317, an evening that will be framed in the International Fight Week, or what is the same, the big week of mixed martial arts in Las Vegas. This is a date that would perfectly quote Ilia Topuria, who decided to leave her worldwide vacant featherweight title to try to conquer that of a superior division, the lightweight, which is in the hands of Islam Makhachev.

With this context, the UFC is working on the options it has to fill out that billboard, which will be of the utmost importance in this season. Thus, the Topuria environment presses so that the attempt to assault the throne of the light can be consumed. «I think that June 28 would be an ideal date, just as the ideal opponent would be Islam Makhachev. But from there to what is going to happen, it is something that does not depend on us, it depends on the UFC, on the managers, on those who handle the company. We are going to fight with whoever puts us, we know that Ilyia is the man in the bag and it is very difficult to find him rival. Let’s see what happens, ”says one of the coaches of Topuria, Jorge Climent, in ABC.

Right now, everything is in the air, but continues to be pushed in the ‘Russian road’. «Everything is in negotiationsstagnant is not because the UFC wants something to happen. Like all the great fights, at the time we will know. The Islam Makhachev is the fight to do, it is everyone’s desire to attack the light weight belt, ”says one of the founders of the Club Club to this newspaper. The next few weeks will be decisive to elucidate the future of El Matador.

While Ilyia seeks to make her way in the light, her brother, Aleksandre, debuted with victory in early February at the UFC. “Aleksandre made it impeccable, he was very disciplined. He did the job he had to do. In the first round the KO almost achieved, Colby Thicknesse was the best in Australia in that weight. He made a fight for the cage and is very difficult to finish like this. When he saw that the thing was going to resist, Aleksandre flowed and dominated in all the moments. Always the first fight you do at the UFC is a test to measure and know if you are truly up to it and did it very well. He will provide security for a future in which we will see him shine, ”says Jorge Climent.

In any case, the important thing was the victory and have another topuria giving war in the largest mixed martial arts league. «Winning is the best, as my brother Agustín says. The happiness he felt at that time is like a ‘highlight’. He lived many moments he had been waiting for years. When you fulfill the dream of something for which you have been fighting a lot, you achieve incredible happiness. Having accompanied him all this time makes us verify that he had a lot inside and wanted to take it out, ”says the Argentine coach.