Makhachev opens the door to Topuria

Islam Makhachev’s victory over Jack Della Maddalena to claim the UFC welterweight title and reassert himself as the pound‑for‑pound king has reignited speculation about a blockbuster fight with Spanish‑Georgian star Ilia Topuria.

Weight class debate

The bout would almost certainly take place at welterweight, but in recent hours Makhachev has signaled he’s open to cutting back down to lightweight—if the money is right. “If I get a very good offer, I wouldn’t mind dropping to lightweight. I won’t be young forever in this sport, and every weight cut takes years off your health. It’s not as easy as it used to be,” he explained.

Topuria fires back

Topuria, meanwhile, didn’t hold back in a recent interview with journalist Álvaro Colmenero, criticizing both Makhachev’s style and Della Maddalena’s performance. “Islam Makhachev is now the welterweight champion. Honestly, I was very disappointed with his fight, but even more disappointed with the former champion, Jack Della Maddalena. He showed zero resistance and zero desire to be in the cage. In the end, Islam did what he always does—fight in a super boring way, because he doesn’t care about the fans.”

Topuria contrasted that with his own approach: “That’s not how I see myself in this sport. I always fight to entertain. People invest their time and money to watch me, and I want them to leave happy. Hopefully this fight happens. It would be a high‑level clash that fans would love. You’d see Islam desperate to get into a dominant position just to catch his breath, and you’d see me with the spark to put him to sleep—and I would succeed.”

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