Islam Makhachev knows a thing or two about winning fights and while it’s never bad to be confident, he wonders if Ilia Topuria’s pre-fight rituals might be a step too far.
Topuria suffered a crushing loss to Justin Gaethje in the UFC White House main event this past June. The defeat cost Topuria his lightweight belt and put the first blemish on his 18-fight career. Heading into the event, Topuria was heavily favored to successfully defend his title and you can count Makhachev among the majority who expected “El Matador” to remain champion.
“Honestly, I’m surprised, because if you ask me, I chose Ilia,” Makhachev told host Demetrious Johnson on
