Ilia Topuria could be Islam Makhachev's Conor McGregor according to AKA teammate: "You may need each other"

As Ilia Topuria decisively defeated Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 to become the lightweight champion, interest in a potential fight between him and Islam Makhachev has surged.

Currently, the chances of such a fight happening seem low as Makhachev is set to challenge for the welterweight title. However, Makhachev's teammate and former UFC double champion Daniel Cormier argued that Topuria and Makhachev need each other to further their legacy and stardom in the sport.

During his recent appearance on the Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru & Henry podcast, Cormier explained why the fight against Conor McGregor was beneficial for Khabib Nurmagomedov, despite their bitter feud:

"While I may not have the greatest relationship with Conor McGregor, partly because of Khabib and his relationship with Conor McGregor, I respect and appreciate him for being that guy for my brother Khabib. Because, without Conor McGregor, Khabib doesn't go to the moon, right? You need that guy."

He opined that Topuria and Makhachev could play similar roles for one another:

"And I think Ilia Topuria and Islam might be that for each other. So while you may not like each other you may need each other to go to that next level."

Check out Daniel Cormier's comments below (via @RedCorner_MMA on X):

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Daniel Cormier on Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev's positions in the pound-for-pound rankings

With his win over Charles Oliveira, Ilia Topuria has now taken the No.1 spot in the pound-for-pound rankings, replacing Islam Makhachev. Although Cormier favors Makhachev to win a potential fight against Topuria, he expressed his agreement with the rankings update given the current circumstances.

In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Cormier noted that pound-for-pound rankings consider the effectiveness of a fighter's skills across different weight classes. Topuria has successfully competed in bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight divisions, with his latest win demonstrating that his power translates well across weight classes.

He then added:

"I agree. At this point, I think [Topuria] is the No.1 pound-for-pound because his fighting style, regardless of the weight class, is effective. So, not only effective... He's knocking people out. So his power has followed him up at lightweight as it was 145."

That said, Cormier believes that if Makhachev defeats Jack Della Maddalena to win the welterweight title, he would once again deserve to be the No.1 pound-for-pound fighter:

"But if Islam is able to beat Jack Della Maddalena, it flips again. Fighting style will then be proven to go up to the next weight class. So then Islam will have done everything that Topuria has done, but at a heavier weight, four title defences at 155 and then the champion and welterweight."

Check out Daniel Cormier's comments below (2:13):