Dillashaw Calls Topuria the UFC’s Best Fighter
On the JAXXON Podcast in 2024, T.J. Dillashaw called Ilia Topuria the promotion’s best fighter after Topuria’s two title knockouts.
Dillashaw compared Topuria’s skills with Jon Jones. Read Yahoo Sports’ report on the comments.
Why Dillashaw rated Topuria so highly
Dillashaw pointed to Topuria’s crisp boxing and speed. His comparison with Jones was about skill level, not career accomplishments: he acknowledged that Topuria did not yet have the same résumé. The comments were Dillashaw’s opinion, rather than an official ranking.
Topuria’s 2024 title run
Topuria entered the Holloway fight unbeaten at 15-0, then improved to 16-0 by knocking out Max Holloway in the third round on October 26, 2024. Earlier that year, he had stopped Alexander Volkanovski in the second round to win the featherweight title. Those results made Dillashaw’s praise especially timely. official event report and its Topuria finishes record document the results.
Dillashaw’s hypothetical matchup
Dillashaw also discussed how he might approach a hypothetical fight with Topuria, saying he would try to use angles, switch stances, kick to maintain distance and wrestle. It was a fighter’s assessment of a hypothetical contest, not a planned bout.
A possible move to lightweight
At the time of Dillashaw’s comments, Topuria had talked about pursuing opportunities at lightweight. He had already fought once at the division’s limit, knocking out Jai Herbert in the second round in March 2022. That earlier bout was a single lightweight appearance to that point in his career, not a permanent move up.
Dillashaw’s praise reflected Topuria’s impressive 2024 form. The original JAXXON Podcast clip is above.
