UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev has revealed that he agreed to fight Ilia Topuria at the UFC’s historic White House event, only for the proposed superfight to fall apart before it could be finalized.
Makhachev made the revelation during his UFC 330 post-fight press conference after defeating Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision to retain his welterweight championship. The victory extended his UFC winning streak to 17 fights, moving him past Anderson Silva for the longest winning streak in UFC history.
According to Makhachev, his manager Ali Abdelaziz contacted him about a potential fight with Topuria in June. The Russian immediately accepted the opportunity. He said:
“Ali called me and asked me, ‘Do you want to fight Ilia at the White House?’ I said yes.”
Makhachev said he was told the UFC was prepared to offer him good money for the fight, which made the opportunity even more appealing. However, the situation changed the following day. The pound-for-pound king continued:
“Next day, Ali called me and said it could not happen.”
Check out Islam Makhachev’s comments below:
Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria’s Unfinished Rivalry
The rivalry between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria had been building long before the possibility of a White House superfight emerged. After becoming UFC lightweight champion, Topuria repeatedly targeted Makhachev and made it clear that he was willing to move up to 170 pounds to challenge the Russian for a third UFC championship.
Makhachev eventually vacated the lightweight title and moved up to welterweight, where he defeated Jack Della Maddalena to win the belt. Topuria then claimed the vacant lightweight title by knocking out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, becoming a two-division champion while remaining undefeated. With both fighters holding UFC titles in different divisions, a champion-versus-champion matchup became one of the biggest fights the promotion could make.
The matchup, however, never materialized. Both camps later offered different explanations for why the proposed White House fight fell apart, with Makhachev and Topuria’s representatives disputing the circumstances surrounding the negotiations. Makhachev has maintained that he was willing to accept the fight, while Topuria’s side argued that the proposed terms did not make sense for them.
‘El Matador’ instead defended his lightweight championship against Justin Gaethje at the UFC’s White House event in June. The fight ended a perfect 18-0 start to Topuria’s professional career, as Gaethje handed him his first defeat and captured the lightweight championship in the process.
The loss also changed the trajectory of the potential superfight. Topuria had previously expressed interest in following Makhachev to welterweight, but he must now rebuild at lightweight before realistically pursuing another championship opportunity at 170 pounds.
Makhachev Backs Topuria to Become Champion Again
Despite Ilia Topuria’s setback, Islam Makhachev remains confident that his former rival can return to the top. He believes Topuria is still young enough to recover from the defeat and make another run at the lightweight championship, while acknowledging that the loss to ‘The Highlight’ could prove to be a significant turning point in his career.
For now, the two-division superfight remains on hold. Makhachev is coming off another successful welterweight title defense against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330, where he broke Anderson Silva’s UFC record with his 17th consecutive victory. Topuria, meanwhile, must first reclaim the lightweight title before a move to 170 pounds becomes a realistic option.
The rivalry may have lost momentum, but it has not disappeared. If Topuria can regain the lightweight championship and eventually move to welterweight, Makhachev could still be waiting for him at the top of the division.
The fight that once looked like a natural champion-versus-champion showdown now depends on Topuria’s ability to reclaim the lightweight crown. If he does, the unfinished rivalry with Makhachev could eventually become one of the biggest superfights the UFC can make.
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