Daniel Cormier holds a contrasting view to Khabib Nurmagomedov when it comes to Ilia Topuria vs. Arman Tsarukyan.
Topuria is widely regarded as one of the most well-rounded fighters in modern MMA, holding a flawless 17-0 record with 15 finishes, including victories over former UFC champions Charles Oliveira, Max Holloway, and Alexander Volkanovski.
Adding to his legacy, “El Matador” etched his name in history by becoming a two-division UFC champion, securing the lightweight crown with a knockout win over Oliveira at UFC 317.
However, “The Eagle” believes Topuria’s reign could be in serious jeopardy if he ever defends his title against Tsarukyan. Nurmagomedov recently claimed that "Ahalkalakets" is far more skilled than the Spaniard and would surely defeat him should they cross paths inside the Octagon.
Daniel Cormier Disputes Khabib Nurmagomedov's Assessment Of Ilia Topuria Potentially Struggling Against Arman Tsarukyan
During a recent video on his YouTube channel, Daniel Cormier shared his thoughts on Khabib Nurmagomedov heavily favoring Arman Tsarukyan to defeat reigning UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria in a potential showdown.
80-20 [%] is crazy, though. 80-20 is hard when anyone’s fighting,” Cormier said. "The only time 80-20 could be thought of in fights has been in the case of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Jon Jones. They’re the only people that have gone through this whole thing without losing. They are the only two. So you could have possibly said, ‘Well, yeah, it’s probably about 80% that guy’s way, because they never lose.
The UFC Hall of Famer firmly pushed back against his former training partner Nurmagomedov’s assertion, arguing that a fighter of Topuria’s caliber is not someone who can be dismissed so easily.
Guess who else hasn’t lost? Ilia Topuria. To put him on the opposite side of that 80%-20% is crazy. I don’t believe that for one second. I really do disagree with Khabib on that one. There is not a guy in the world that I believe is gonna beat Ilia Topuria 8 out of 10 times. That’s the truth.
