Demetrious Johnson sees something special in Ilia Topuria—so special, in fact, that he believes Topuria might follow a path similar to that of Khabib Nurmagomedov: dominant, undefeated, and out of the sport on his own terms.
For those that don’t know, “Mighty Mouse” is one of the best fighters the MMA world has ever seen. He’s also one of the only fighters ever let go by the UFC because he was too good at his job.
There are rumors that Dana hated him because he couldn’t sell fights despite DJ’s incredible performances. However, most of the battles between the two were usually business-related, involving disputes over earnings. White went on to trade Johnson to ONE Championship for Ben Askren, which was great for Jorge Masvidal.
For those that don’t know, Askren was on the receiving end of one of the greatest UFC moments of all time when he was knocked out arguably in under five seconds. We say “arguably” because it took a second for the timekeeper to end the match.
Now, one of the greatest fighters of all time sees big things in Topuria’s future.
Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) made history at UFC 317 by becoming the first undefeated fighter to capture UFC titles in two weight classes. His second belt came in emphatic fashion, with a knockout victory over Charles Oliveira (35-11 MMA, 23-11 UFC) in the main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
With Topuria’s name now tied to historic milestones, conversations around his future are heating up—and Johnson weighed in during a recent episode of The Mighty Guru Show, suggesting Topuria’s time at the top might be intense but short-lived.
“I think he’s a unicorn,” Johnson said of Topuria. “I think you’re going to see him three or four more times, maybe five max, and he’s going to disappear. He’s like, ‘I’m done.’ Undefeated, he could be a potential Khabib, someone who just leaves the sport. It’s like, ‘I’m done, don’t need to prove anything. I won the belt at ’45, ’55,’ and sh*t, potentially he can fight at 170 too.”
Look, I’ve been pretty honest that I feel the Topuria fan train is a little overhyped. The comparisons between Conor and now Khabib make my eyes roll. However, when someone like Johnson says this guy is a “unicorn,” I listen.
Topuria has already expressed interest in a third title should Islam Makhachev eventually capture welterweight gold, opening the door for a superfight down the line. But for Johnson, there’s a more immediate and deserving challenge waiting in the wings.
“I think the next fight should be Arman Tsarukyan, who’s healthy,” Johnson said. “Ilia Topuria didn’t take a lot of damage. So they could run this fight – November, December at MSG. Now that Jon Jones is retired, you’re not going to have Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall. They can do Tsarukyan vs. Ilia Topuria at MSG, banger f*cking fight.”
Whether Topuria sticks around for two fights or five, the expectations are massive—and if Johnson’s instincts prove right, fans may only get a limited window to watch Topuria chase history before he calls it a career.
