Islam Makhachev Downplays Loss to Ilia Topuria
The highly anticipated welterweight title bout between Makhachev and Della Maddalena is nearly finalized, with the UFC's annual event at Madison Square Garden in New York City expected to be the stage for the fight. As Makhachev aims to join the short list of two-division UFC champions, a potential future fight against Topuria remains a priority for him.
Islam Makhachev has downplayed his loss of the top UFC pound-for-pound ranking to Ilia Topuria, calling it a marketing tactic to build interest in their potential future fight, as he focuses on his upcoming welterweight title bout against Jack Della Maddalena.
Makhachev, the former UFC lightweight champion, vacated his title in May 2025 to challenge for the welterweight championship, and the highly anticipated fight is nearly finalized for November 2025, with 90% of the agreement in place. The bout is expected to headline the UFC's annual event at Madison Square Garden in New York City, with Makhachev aiming to join the short list of two-division UFC champions.
Makhachev's loss of the top pound-for-pound ranking came after Ilia Topuria's recent win, but he believes the move makes sense, as they will likely fight for the ranking soon. The two fighters are among the best in the sport, and a matchup between them has been highly anticipated. Topuria recently defeated Charles Oliveira to claim Makhachev's former Lightweight belt, adding fuel to the fire for a potential future fight between the two.
As Makhachev prepares for his welterweight title bout, he remains open to facing Topuria later, and the potential matchup between the two is expected to be one of the biggest fights in the UFC in the near future. With the welterweight title on the line, Makhachev's upcoming fight against Della Maddalena is sure to be an exciting one, and fans will be eagerly awaiting the outcome.