Islam Makhachev was not at all interested in giving up his lightweight title. After winning against Renato Moicano, Makhachev went up in weight. While he faces Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight championship, the Dagestani might make a comeback. Eyeing a two-division champion status simultaneously, Makhachev might challenge the winner of Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira. And while the idea seems quite surprising, Umar Nurmagomedov recently confirmed the same.
In a recent interview with Adam Zubayrev, Nurmagomedov made some bold claims. He stated that Hunter Campbell conveyed that the UFC wanted Topuria as the lightweight champion because Topuria’s antics outside of the octagon helped the UFC sell fights. However, after Makhachev finishes the welterweight fight, he might come back to challenge for a second belt.
“He [Hunter] came to see Islam, and they wanted Islam to move up. They want to make Topuria the champ at 155. They believe he can really sell fights. Islam doesn’t want to give up his belt — he wants to fight at 155 too. Islam can take the 170 title, then return to 155 and hold both belts,” said Nurmagomedov.
Islam Makhachev still wants to fight at 155 and hold both the lightweight and welterweight belts simultaneously 👀
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 15, 2025
"They wanted Islam to move up. They want to make Topuria the champ at 155… Islam doesn't want to [vacate]. He had no plans to vacate it. He still wants to fight… pic.twitter.com/LQZJI7BsL0
Surely, this is quite an interesting situation for the lightweight division. If Ilia Topuria can become the champion, then we might have the superfight still on our hands. Speaking of which, Topuria recently revealed why he was eager to fight Makhachev.
Ilia Topuria Details Why He Wanted The Islam Makhachev Fight
Ilia Topuria will be fighting for the lightweight title. In the absence of Islam Makhachev, Topuria will be facing Charles Oliveira. But he is still very much eager to face off against Makhachev. In a recent interaction, ‘El Matador’ stated that he wanted to face the very best of the league. And that’s why he was interested in fighting the former champion.
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“It’s the same with Volk. If you beat someone and take the title from them at 145, it had to be Volk…I wanted to fight [Islam] simply because he had dominated everyone,” said Topuria.
Ilia Topuria on why he wanted to fight Islam Makhachev:
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 12, 2025
“It’s the same with Volk. If you beat someone and take the title from them at 145, it had to be Volk…
I wanted to fight [Islam] simply because he had dominated everyone.”
🎥 @ESPNDeportes #UFC317pic.twitter.com/eUkswwCvJ8
Thus, with many interesting prospects to consider, it remains to be seen how things will pan out in the future.
Also Read: Ilia Topuria Drops Bold Claim On Why He Is Expecting A Round 1 Finish Against Charles Oliveira
