Islam Makhachev's coach names the biggest threat for Ilia Topuria at lightweight - "That would be the test"

Ilia Topuria's devastating knockout win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 demonstrated that the former champion can be just as effective in the lighweight division as he was in feaherweight.

With all three of his most recent wins coming against all-time great fighters across these two weight classes, Topuria appears to be a dificult puzzle for the rest of the division to solve.

In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Islam Makhachev's coach, Javier Mendez, discussed which contenders could pose a tough challenge to Topuria:

"I see Justin Gaethje potentially giving him some problems. Arman Tsarukyan would be the one that, in my opinion, might give him the most problems. Because Arman's not going to stand with him, Arman's going to make it a grappling war. So it's going to be a war of attrition. Can he really survive the continuous ground attack that Arman's going to put on him? That would be the test."

That said, Mendez does not rule out the possibility of Topuria neutralizing Tsarukyan's wrestling, adding:

"Can he do that? I don't know. Maybe he can. Look what he did to Charles. Charles came in for the takedown and [Topuria] switched it on him mid-air. That was very impressive."

Check out Javier Mendez's comments below (4:40):

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Javier Mendez on Paddy Pimblett surpassing Arman Tsarukyan as the next challenger for Ilia Topuria

Arman Tsarukyan, the No.1-ranked lightweight contender, weighed in a s the back-up fighter for the vacant lightweight title fight between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira.

Although he is considered one of the frontrunners for the next title shot, No.8-ranked Paddy Pimblett was suggested as a potential next challenger to Topuria during the post-fight formalities at UFC 317.

When asked about the UFC possibly favoring Pimblett over Tsarukyan, Javier Mendez said this in the aforementioned interview with Submission Radio:

"Listen, anybody that's going to get upset has to remember, this is not a true sport - it's entertainment first. If you get upset, make some noise then. Paddy Pimblett makes the noise, and the fans want to see him. So the fans are going to get what they want. If it's Paddy Pimblett, that's going to make the most noise, so it's Paddy Pimblett that fans are going to want to see. So, Arman needs to get out there and make some noise." [5:23]

Topuria and Pimblett have been engaged in a bitter rivalry over the last several years. They are two of the most popular fighters in the lower weight classes, and a potential fight is likely to achieve significant commercial success. However, UFC CEO Dana White criticized the face-off between Topuria and Pimblett, suggesting that it is not certain if the Brit will challenge Topuria next.