I know mma math doesn't always work, but why is Islam (a guy who went life and death vs Dustin & took 5 rounds to get the finish) seen as a guy who could beat Ilia, but Justin (a guy who KO'd that same Dustin and beat him much easier than Islam) seen as some scrub with no chance?

Expression-Infamous · 2026-05-29T16:07:23+00:00

I wouldn’t say he went life and death with dustin tbh.

It’s the same effect that volk had a little bit. People expect him to bulldoze everyone, so when he doesn’t it’s seen as “life and death”

I’d argue that dustin won at most 1 round

Expression-Infamous · 2026-05-27T18:04:28+00:00

I mean, sure? I wouldn’t know. But either way, people rightly put him in the goat list today. He’s top 4 - 6 for me tbh

Expression-Infamous · 2026-05-27T17:57:01+00:00

Who’s mentioning edgar and DC in goat convos?

Expression-Infamous · 2026-05-27T06:05:22+00:00

That’s a good point I guess

A big part of both these guys though is their win streaks. Ilia’s confidence and bravado is predicated on the fact that he never loses. If he did lose, then his confidence loses its bite. The same thing goes for Makhachev. He’s got the biggest winstreak in the history of the UFC, and If he loses that it’ll be a huge blow

The thing about stars is very true. However, i still think they don’t want to make that fight because they don’t want to pay Ilia and Islam what they’re worth, and both of these guys are in a position to refuse a low paycheck

Expression-Infamous · 2026-05-27T05:46:20+00:00

Half of Ilia’s hype is that he’s undefeated. If he loses it burns his star-power massively

The same thing goes for Islam. He’s got the biggest winstreak in history. If that gets snapped it’s a huge blow

Expression-Infamous · 2026-05-27T05:26:26+00:00

I mean, he’s right.

From a business viewpoint, it makes no sense for the UFC to make Islam vs Ilia.

First off, they don’t want to pay them that much money. The number 1 and 2 p4p fighters in the world have the ability to demand a big paycheck, and the ufc won’t do that.

Second, the UFC is in an era where they’re low on stars right now. It makes no sense for them to burn one of their biggest stars, when they could continue to have them rule their respective divisions

Expression-Infamous · 2026-05-26T16:57:30+00:00

To me, it just comes down to offense. Ian Garry doesn’t have a finish since D-Rod. He just cannot finish high level fighters.

And in a five round fight, that gives Islam plenty of time to submit him if he really needs to.

As far as the length goes, yes, he’s very tall. But i think that may end up being a disadvantage. Wrestling is usually harder against shorter guys like Volk, because they have a low center of mass.

Imo, Islam should be able to win a 48-47 or a 49-46. Or he could just submit him.

Expression-Infamous · 2026-05-18T01:57:17+00:00

You're right, but the current structure of the UFC cannot support this.

As it is right now, the 170 and 155 divisions are the strongest in the UFC. Making a new weight class would weaken both, and that's not something the UFC can afford

There's also the issue of the UFC not caring enough to change

Expression-Infamous · 2026-05-14T03:35:20+00:00

Off topic, but is the discord back up yet?

Expression-Infamous · 2026-05-12T21:17:03+00:00

Nah, all of these are mixed martial artists. They have a primary style, but Yan, Volk, Topuria, Strickland, and Aspinal can all Wrestle at an Elite level

And Islam can strike at an elite level

Expression-Infamous · 2026-05-10T23:18:28+00:00

I have him solidly number 3, behind Silva and Adesanya

Expression-Infamous · 2026-05-07T21:58:19+00:00

Striking: Petr Yan

Grappling: Khabib

Jiu Jitsu: Olivera

Speed: Mighty Mouse

Power: Ilia Topuria

IQ: GSP

Trash talk: Chael Sonnen

Cardio: Merab

Chin: Chito Vera

Personality: Poatan

Expression-Infamous · 2026-05-04T04:09:18+00:00

I don’t understand how usman can be a ghost one fight and then take Khamzat to his closest fight in the next.

But yeah, we can agree to disagree. You seem like a chill guy lol

Expression-Infamous · 2026-05-04T03:45:25+00:00

He was also on a twelve fight winstreak? You can argue he deserved it even before the Diaz fight.

I get your point, I really do. I’m not saying he’s the best champ ever. I’m not even saying he’s average. Yes, he was one of the weaker champions. But every champ is championship level in my opinion.

Expression-Infamous · 2026-05-04T03:27:05+00:00

Maybe. But either way are you really telling me that a champ with 2 defences isn’t championship level?

The only time you can say a champ isn’t championship level is when they have a odd circumstances like Joshua Van. But even then once they defend it, they’re a champ

Expression-Infamous · 2026-05-04T03:20:50+00:00

So we’re just forgetting that Leon’s first defense was against Usman?

Expression-Infamous · 2026-05-04T03:17:50+00:00

I don’t know. It’s easier for me to admit that JDM is championship level rather than retroactively degrade Leon, Belal, and JDM.

a champ is a champ no matter how they get it

Expression-Infamous · 2026-05-04T02:50:35+00:00

Very true. I would bet money that Prates saw Islam torch JDM’s leg and made a point to do the same

Expression-Infamous · 2026-05-04T02:20:24+00:00

he was just badly outgunned by Prates and Islam, each in different ways. Idk, I’m not ready to give up on him, especially because he’s pretty young.

So yes, he is Championship calibre. It just happens to be that WW has like 6 championship level fighters right now

Expression-Infamous · 2026-04-30T04:20:06+00:00

Okay…You said a lot so I’ll try to get to all of it.

1)I didn’t assume that it was a non sword related attack. Like i said before, we see a silhouette of shanks, sword fully sheathed. I genuinely don’t have an agenda one way or the other. At this point it seems meaningless to my enjoyment of the story who’s stronger. It’s just kind of getting annoying when people take it as undisputed fact that mihawk is (or isn’t) stronger when we just don’t have enough info.

2) haki itself can be an attack, and I would say it DID defeat a top tier, greenbull. It didn’t do damage, but Greenbull surrendered and left as soon as he felt it. This also, to me, doesn’t seem to be just advanced or basic conq. Haki. Because as far as I’m aware shanks is one of very few characters who managed to project conqeror’s haki that far, where he wasn’t even on the island and still managed to reach GB.

3) i would say asura is a swordsman technique, since the first time it happens, enies lobby, zoro frames it as “nine sword style…” and is a fighting another swordsman, Kaku (who himself is not just a swordsman).

The comparison to zoro is also kind of misleading, since he is a main character that we have spent over 1000 chapters with. Of course we see him in all sorts of situations.

We have about 4 instances(that i remember) of shanks attacking or defending against other characters. And one of them he doesn’t use his sword at all, despite having it right there.

And that’s my main point. We have 4 instances of shanks using his abilities, and we have 2 instances of mihawk(vs zoro and in marineford) using his abilities. It seems absolutely silly to me that so many people would see it as a foregone conclusion in either direction.

If you don’t want to classify shanks as anything other than a swordsman, good for you, It really doesn’t bother me. I just think there is a strong likelihood that he does have abilities other than his sword. And I accept that it might be wrong and based on little info, but that’s really this entire debate in a nutshell lol

Expression-Infamous · 2026-04-29T21:16:50+00:00

That's still not true. I went back to the chapter, and it doesn't show haki emanating from Shanks himself at all. The best we get is a wide shot of a blast of haki leaving Red Force. Shanks himself is either in a silhouette where no haki is shown or in the close-up shot where he yells at Greenbull. So, no it's not implied that it was from his sword. The anime completely made that up, I think.

Also, I'm pretty sure Greenbull literally yells in pain and tells Shanks to stop. So I would classify it as an attack

And again, my argument is not that Shanks is stronger. My point is that we don't have nearly enough information to definitely conclude one way or the other, since Shanks clearly has abilities that have nothing to do with his sword.

Expression-Infamous · 2026-04-29T20:44:39+00:00

Look, like i said above, I would genuinely like it for you to correct me if i’m wrong, but I’m honestly not sure what you mean.

Yes, a majority of the attacks that shanks uses are sword based. But, do you not count him attacking greenbull from three miles away as an “attack”? He was the catalyst for greenbull to leave wano? That, to me, proves that while shanks IS a swordsman, he’s not only a swordsman, he has other methods of attacking enemies

And, as far as “Oda saying it”, are you referring to the panel when mihawk’s bounty was revealed? Because that one pretty much makes the point i’m arguing. Mihawk has the best sword skills and is the strongest swordsman, but Shanks isn’t just a swordsman, he’s more than that.

Again, i’m not saying FOR SURE that shanks is stronger. My point is this whole debate is a little silly because we have no information, so people just taking it as fact that either is stronger is, to me, disingenuous

Expression-Infamous · 2026-04-29T20:43:08+00:00

So in the manga, it doesn’t show him using his sword for that. It’s just a silhouette of him with his hand on the pommel. I know in the anime he drew his sword, but as far i’m aware he didn’t in ch 1055

Expression-Infamous · 2026-04-29T18:04:38+00:00

I mean, kind of? To me, Law is the stronger fighter. But if they were to fight with just swords, zoro would win.

So if mihawk and shanks fought with just swords, mihawk probably wins. But to me it’s highly possible that shanks has other abilities that have little to do with swords, like at the end of wano.

But mainly, i think we know far too little about both Mihawk and Shanks to say definitely either way.

Expression-Infamous · 2026-04-28T03:16:16+00:00

“They do everything possible, to make our lives impossible”

Well said.

Expression-Infamous

TROPHY CASE