Overview
- Mendez urged opponents to stay out of boxing range against Topuria, calling his hands the best in MMA.
- He identified Topuria’s weakest area as his kicking game and recommended kicks, angles, knees and Muay Thai to keep him at range.
- Mendez advised testing Topuria’s grappling, while noting reports that the champion has decent wrestling and jiu-jitsu.
- Topuria remains unbeaten with 17 straight wins and two UFC titles, having last competed in July at UFC 317 to claim lightweight gold.
- A potential Topuria–Makhachev matchup depends on Makhachev’s welterweight title bid versus Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 on Nov. 15, with Topuria saying the superfight is off if Makhachev loses.