Islam Makhachev Reveals UFC Brass Did not Offer Ilia Topuria, Negotiated Welterweight Title Fight Instead

UFC pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev gives details about his recent meeting with Hunter Campbell.

Islam Makhachev Reveals UFC Brass Did not Offer Ilia Topuria, Negotiated Welterweight Title Fight Instead

Islam Makhachev denies talking about Ilia Topuria with Hunter Campbell (via X)

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Since vacating his UFC lightweight title, Islam Makhachev has been constantly accused of avoiding a potential fight with Ilia Topuria. Fans worldwide anticipated a blockbuster superfight between these dominant champions, but the highly anticipated matchup has now been indefinitely postponed. However, Makhachev remains completely unfazed by the criticism and is fully concentrating on his highly anticipated welterweight debut.

Before UFC 315, there was confusion about Makhachev’s next move, as he preferred moving up instead of fighting Topuria. UFC’s Hunter Campbell visited him in Dagestan, which many believed was about the Topuria fight. However, in a recent MMA Junkie interview, Makhachev dismissed those claims, stating the meeting had nothing to do with Topuria.

Everybody think [Hunter] come to make fight with Topuria, but we talked about fight against winner of Maddalena and Belal. He told me 'I know Belal is your friend, but this is sport. Shake hands, fight, after fight respect'…We have big discussion about that, I told him 'let's wait for the fight, we will see after that’.
Islam Makhachev on Hunter Campbell’s Visit

Belal Muhammad lost a competitive fight against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315. Right after the bout, Makhachev officially announced his move to welterweight and later vacated his UFC lightweight championship. Makhachev has found support in Paddy Pimblett, who criticized the UFC for not giving Makhachev the chance to become a double champion.

Nevertheless, this move opened the door for the vacant lightweight title fight between Charles Oliveira and Topuria at UFC 317. Set for this Saturday, the highly anticipated bout sees the Georgian-Spanish Topuria entering as the clear betting favourite to win. Meanwhile, ‘Do Bronx’ is driven by strong personal motivations to stage a powerful comeback and reclaim lightweight glory.

In a recent interview, Topuria defended Makhachev, saying the Dagestani didn’t duck him but wanted to avoid weight cutting. However, he firmly denied offering Makhachev an immediate title shot if he loses to Della Maddalena at welterweight. Despite all this, the pound-for-pound ace seems unbothered and has already considered a venue to fight the Australian champion.

Islam Makhachev wants Jack Della Maddalena at the mecca of combat sports

Islam Makhachev has dominated the UFC by defeating elite fighters, consistently proving his skills across different weight classes and fight styles globally. He famously traveled to enemy territory, beating Alexander Volkanovski in Australia, silencing the crowd and cementing his dominance against hometown heroes. Makhachev also showcased brilliance in Abu Dhabi, where immense local support has elevated his performances and confidence inside the Octagon.

Islam Makhachev wants to fight Jack Della Maddalena at the MSG
Islam Makhachev wants to fight Jack Della Maddalena at the MSG (via X)

Despite his global success, Makhachev is yet to headline the iconic Madison Square Garden. There were assumptions about Makhachev fighting Jack Della Maddalena in Abu Dhabi or Perth. In the MMA Junkie Interview, the fighter shared his aspirations to fight at the iconic Madison Square Garden.

I asked Dana if we have some opportunity to fight in Madison Square Garden. It would be honour for me to fight in the biggest arena for MMA and boxing. Legendary arena.
Islam Makhachev via MMA Junkie

‘JDM’ strongly believes his relentless pressure and sharp boxing combinations can break through Makhachev’s traditionally wrestling-based fighting style effectively. Understanding the challenge, Maddalena is planning to train alongside Alexander Volkanovski, gaining insights from someone who has already faced Makhachev.

Volk has fought Makhachev twice and has lost on two occasions, and JDM wants to avenge that by beating the Dagestani. On top of that, Della Maddalena’s BJJ coach Craig Jones is looking forward to shutting down the hype around Dagestani wrestling.