Ali Abdelaziz praised Ilia Topuria as one of the best talents in recent years, but emphasized that Islam Makhachev’s achievements set him apart. He highlighted Islam’s impressive 15-fight winning streak in the UFC and noted that Islam finished nine of his last ten fights.

Khabib Nurmagomedov's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, recently argued that Islam Makhachev should hold the No. 1 position in the UFC pound-for-pound (P4P) rankings over Ilia Topuria.

After brutally knocking out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, Ilia Topuria officially became the new UFC lightweight champion. Heading into the fight, he was the betting favorite, but few expected a first-round finish against the dangerous former champion.