Islam Makhachev has officially vacated his UFC lightweight championship to pursue a welterweight title shot, ending speculation about a potential superfight with Ilia Topuria in 2025. The Russian fighter will now challenge new 170-pound champion Jack Della Maddalena instead of defending his lightweight belt against the rising Georgian-Spanish star.
The highly anticipated clash between the two champions has been a hot topic among MMA fans since Topuria captured the featherweight title. However, Makhachev reportedly never showed genuine interest in facing "El Matador," believing victories against fighters from lower weight classes carry little merit - a stance he maintained even after giving former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski two title shots.
"I think it will be in the United States, probably in October or November," Della Maddalena revealed in an interview with The Grin Reapers regarding his upcoming defense against Makhachev. "They had planned a PPV in Mexico, but I think everything has changed. Now it's early October in Las Vegas."
Meanwhile, Topuria is following a similar career path by vacating his own featherweight championship to pursue lightweight gold. The 28-year-old fighter is scheduled to face former champion Charles Oliveira for the now-vacant 155-pound title, with many observers installing Topuria as the clear favorite.
Interestingly, the UFC has confirmed that their "Noche UFC" event, traditionally held to honor Mexican fighters and fans, will relocate from Guadalajara to San Antonio, Texas. The card will also be downgraded from a pay-per-view to a Fight Night format, meaning no numbered event will take place in September.
This scheduling shuffle means Makhachev will have been absent from the octagon for nearly ten months by the time he challenges for welterweight gold. The 33-year-old fighter could have chosen to defend his lightweight title against Topuria during International Fight Week, but critics suggest he may have avoided this matchup to prevent a potential defeat.
Will we ever see these two champions clash in the future? The fight that both fans and UFC stars have debated endlessly appears increasingly unlikely to materialize, at least for the foreseeable future.
