The path to Islam Makhachev’s next title defense remains shrouded in mystery. Fresh from submitting Renato Moicano in the first round at UFC 311, thereby solidifying his fourth title defense, the lightweight champion is at a crossroads. The recent decision by Ilia Topuria (16-0) to vacate the featherweight title has fueled speculation about a potential showdown between the Hispanic-Georgian fighter and the Dagestani athlete. While the UFC has reportedly received a positive response from ‘El Matador,’ who has his sights set on becoming a double champion, Makhachev’s reservations are causing a delay in the fight’s confirmation.
Among the most recent voices to weigh in on the matter is Matt Brown, the legendary former UFC fighter known for one of the most impactful elbow knockouts in the sport’s history. In a conversation on The Fighter VS The Writer, Brown advised Makhachev to make his next title defense against a fighter within his weight class, considering that two of his four title defenses were against Alexander Volkanovski, who was the featherweight champion at the time. “If I were Islam, I wouldn’t accept the fight with Topuria. I entirely agree with what he said about not needing to fight another 145-pound fighter,” Brown stated.
Topuria has earned the right to fight for a title in basically every division
Matt Brown, former UFC fighter
Despite praising Topuria’s figure, Brown believes that the Dagestani fighter would be at a disadvantage in this matchup, which is why he prefers to see Ilia face another opponent before going for his second title. “What Ilia has accomplished… I think he’s earned the right to fight for a title in almost every division, but I agree that we should let him have another fight and earn his way to a title shot against Islam,” Brown concluded. If the fight against Makhachev doesn’t materialize, Charles Oliveira could be another potential opponent who would guarantee an exciting spectacle. For now, we’ll have to wait and see.
UFC.
Islam’s Welterweight Aspirations
While Topuria’s dream is to become the lightweight champion, Makhachev’s ambition is to move up to welterweight to achieve the same goal that the Hispanic-Georgian fighter is pursuing. However, as long as his friend Belal Muhammad continues to reign supreme in the division, this move is unlikely to happen. There are rumors suggesting that the UFC is waiting for the outcome of the UFC 315 fight between the Palestinian fighter and Jack Della Maddalena before deciding on Makhachev’s next move. If Belal loses, Makhachev might be given the opportunity to challenge the new champion. Nevertheless, this doesn’t align with Topuria’s recent statements, in which he claimed that news about his next fight would be announced soon.
Makhachev recently posted a photo on his social media account, which showed him standing next to a fire extinguisher with a message that read “someone needs to be put out”. In the coming days, we expect to hear more about this development, especially considering that UFC 313 is scheduled for this Saturday, and Dana White will likely be questioned about it during the press conference. There are two prevailing schools of thought: those who believe that now is the perfect time for the Topuria vs Makhachev fight, given its magnitude, and those who think that Ilia needs to face another opponent first.