Islam Makhachev, the former UFC lightweight champ, is looking beyond his welterweight title fight against Jack Della Maddalena. In an interview with Ushatayka, he expressed interest in a super fight with Ilia Topuria, the current lightweight champ. The potential matchup has fans excited for a clash between two elite fighters.
Super Fight Interest
Makhachev sees Topuria as a big challenge.
“There’s some intrigue with Topuria,” he said. “I’m also interested in that fight. Maybe we can make some kind of super fight. Or, as I said, we’ll see about the weight.”
Islam Makhachev says he’s interested in a super fight against Ilia Topuria after the JDM fight:
“There’s some intrigue with Topuria. I’m also interested in that fight. Maybe we can make some kind of super fight.” 👀👀
🎥 Ushatayka pic.twitter.com/H6n2pH1Fq8
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 22, 2025
Makhachev is set to face Della Maddalena, who won the welterweight title against Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 on May 10, 2025, in Montreal. The fight, expected in November 2025 at Madison Square Garden, could make Makhachev a two-division champ. He vacated his lightweight title to avoid holding up the division, allowing Topuria to win it against Charles Oliveira at UFC 317.
Islam Makhachev started MMA in 2010, going 7-0 regionally before joining the UFC in 2015. His UFC record is 16-1, with wins over Renato Moicano (2025), Alexander Volkanovski (2023, 2024), Charles Oliveira (2022), and Dustin Poirier (2024). His only loss was a 2015 knockout to Adriano Martins. He won the lightweight title at UFC 280, defended it five times, including against Moicano, and vacated it in 2025 to chase welterweight gold. His overall MMA record is 27-1.
Topuria, the former featherweight champ, moved to lightweight in 2025, boosting his star power with back-to-back knockouts of Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway at featherweight. A Makhachev-Topuria super fight could be a massive pay-per-view draw, fueled by their recent trash talk. His overall MMA record is 17-0.
If Makhachev beats Della Maddalena, a Topuria super fight could headline a 2026 card, possibly in Spain, where Joe Rogan said he’d commentate. Topuria may face Arman Tsarukyan or Justin Gaethje next.
