Let’s talk about Ryan Hall vs Ilia Topuria this weekend at UFC 264
We’ve got a stacked night of fights coming to us this weekend, July 10, 2021, at UFC 264, where Dustin Poirier versus Conor McGregor III goes down live on pay-per-view.
This card is so stacked in fact, that a match up between Ryan Hall and Ilia Topuria is just the second bout on the preliminary card. That’s quite surprising, considering everyone’s been waiting to see Hall’s next fight for two years now, along with how highly regarded Topuria is.
Ryan Hall, 36, came to the UFC with just a 4-1 record, after going 2-1 on The Ultimate Fighter 22. He won his season with a unanimous decision victory over Artem Lobov in December of 2015.
Hall wouldn’t fight again until December of 2016, where he defeated former two-time lightweight title challenger Gray Maynard, also via unanimous decision. Then came a first-round submission (heel hook) victory over former lightweight & welterweight champion BJ Penn, becoming the only man to ever submit Penn in MMA competition.
That happened two years after his victory over Maynard, in December of 2018, before he returned in July of 2019 to defeat Darren Elkins via unanimous decision. One thing Hall has shown us in these fights, he’s nearly just as capable at striking as he is at grappling, and he knows how to control the outcomes even when he doesn’t finish the fight.
Hall’s only professional defeat comes against fellow high level BJJ black belt Eddie Fyvie back in 2006. He wouldn’t return to MMA for six years, and three years after returning, four victories later, he was called up to the big show.
Ilia Topuria, 24, on the other hand is much younger, but he’s just as highly regarded.
The Spanish talent came to the UFC with a record of 8-0 last year in October to defeat Youssef Zalal via unanimous decision, who was 3-0 inside the octagon at the time. This marked his first victory that went the distance, and just his second outing that made it past round one.
Following this, Topuria ran right through experienced veteran Damon Jackson, KO’ing him toward the middle of round one in December. Jackson had just submitted Mirsad Bektic prior, which was a huge feather in his cap going into his bout with this young gun.
Topuria is about as much of a prodigy as we have in the sport right now. When he’s at distance, he has great kickboxing skills. When he’s in close, his boxing is absolutely wicked, and he’s a straight killer on the mat, just like his opponent.
Topuria’s submissions are at a very high level, already being a BJJ black belt himself, not to mention his wrestling and scrambling abilities. Whether he defeats Hall or not, Topuria’s future is very bright in the sport of mixed martial arts.
Which of these stud BJJ black belts walk away the victor at UFC 264?
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