Islam Makhachev Reduces Ilia Topuria’s P4P Achievement to ‘Marketing Hype’ 

Former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev didn't seem to be bothered by losing the pound-for-pound #1 status to Ilia Topuria.

Islam Makhachev Reduces Ilia Topuria’s P4P Achievement to ‘Marketing Hype’ 

Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev (via X)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

Islam Makhachev reigned as the UFC’s pound-for-pound No.1 fighter for over 600 days. The Dagestani star made history by defending his lightweight title for a record four times during his reign, surpassing the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov, BJ Penn, and others. However, he didn’t wait around to defend his title against Ilia Topuria.

Instead, the Dagestani fighter moved up a weight class and eagerly awaits his shot at welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena. In the mean time, Ilia Topuria has captured the lightweight title and also dethroned Makhachev as the P4P king. Despite losing his pound-for-pound #1 status, Makhachev doesn’t seem bothered by it. In fact, the former champion called it a marketing tactic.

Well, its marketing. They did it on purpose, for hype…to hype this fight. They’re doing the right thing. We will fight for first place.

Islam Makhachev said during UFC Abu Dhabi Fight Night

There is a distinct possibility that Makhachev vs. Topuria could happen sometime next year. After all, the Dagestani star could come back to the lightweight division for a superfight. If not, Topuria seems to have set his eyes on a move to welterweight to capture an elusive third belt in the promotion.

In fact, Dana White spoke about wanting Topuria vs. Makhachev if the Dagestani star captures the welterweight title. It is a fight that ‘El Matador’ has always wanted before settling for the Charles Oliveira battle. For now, the duo will have fight to different opponents before their eventual encounter inside the Octagon.

The Georgian-Spanish star could face either of Justin Gaethje, Paddy Pimblett, or Arman Tsarukyan for his first lightweight title defense. Nothing is set in motion as the UFC has yet to reveal their immediate plans for Topuria. Meanwhile, Makhachev seems to be ready for his shot at two-weight title dreams which could happen at an iconic venue.

Islam Makhachev teases destination for Jack Della Maddalena fight

Belal Muhammad losing his welterweight title to Jack Della Maddalena somewhat helped Islam Makhachev chase his dreams. After all, the Dagestani fighter has always wanted to become a two-weight world champion. However, there was little interest in his camp to fight close friend, Belal Muhammad, for the title.

Islam Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena fight will take place this year (via X)
Islam Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena fight will take place this year (via X)

After JDM outpointed ‘Bullly B’ at UFC 315, Makhachev called dibs on fighting the newly crowned champion. It is a fight that has excited many fans and fellow fighters, considering the skill set involved. Makhachev hasn’t fought since his UFC 311 PPV victory back in January. As such, the fanbase has wanted to know about the fight date for the ex-lightweight champion.

It appears that the UFC could announce the matchup in the coming weeks. Just last week, Dana White announced the headliners for UFC 320 and UFC 321, which is scheduled for October. This makes it clear that the title fight will not happen until November of this year. Now, Makhachev spoke about the potential date for his welterweight title fight.

We’ve almost agreed on everything. There’s 90% chance the fight happens in November.

Islam Makhachev via UFC Eurasia X Account

In recent years, the UFC has gone to the Madison Square Garden Arena for its November PPV slot. Moreover, the Dagestani star has always dreamed of fighting in the MSG. It was almost a reality back in 2023, but other issues popped up at that time. Fast forward to 2025, the dream is once close to becoming a reality.

Achieving two-weight glory and headlining MSG will feel like two birds with one stone for the ex-lightweight champion. However, JDM has shown that he does not fear anyone’s grappling after successfully acing the challenge from Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns. It is definitely an exciting superfight in its own right to headline MSG this year.

Also Read: