Topuria challenges Makhachev to win a third title | sports

Ilya Topuria, nicknamed “The Matador,” intends to fight Islam Makhachev for the welterweight belt if he defeats Jack Della Maddalena in the UFC 322 tournament at the White House.

Amidst all the rumors about who his opponent would be in his first defense of the lightweight belt, Topuria made a shocking surprise when he revealed that his opponent would be the Dagestani Makhachev (27 wins and one loss).

The newspaper “Marca” indicates that Elijah (17 wins without defeat) aims to become the first triple champion in the history of the organization, and to participate in one of the largest fights in the history of physical contact sports.

The lightweight champion, and former featherweight title holder, has quickly become the face of the world’s most prominent mixed martial arts organization.

Topuria decided his fight against his Brazilian counterpart, Charles Oliveira, in an exceptional and quick way in the “UFC 137” tournament last June.

Spaniard Topuria became the tenth fighter in the history of the UFC to achieve the feat of holding two titles in two different categories, and also strengthened his undefeated record to 17 fights.

Many names were on the table

There are several names on the table to defend Topuria’s first over-70kg belt, including Justin Gaethje, Arman Tsarukyan, and Buddy Pimblett.

The Spanish-Georgian fighter stated a few days ago that he does not care about the opponent.

There are rumors of his return in early 2026, but if the decision was in his hands, he would have been clear about his next fight.

He said in a recent interview, “I want to face Islam Makhachev in the White House. It will be one of the biggest fights in the history of the UFC. No one has ever competed for the third belt.”

After becoming the first undefeated double champion in the UFC, “The Matador” aims to continue writing history, and to achieve this he aims to rise to welterweight in pursuit of the Triple Crown.

Ilya has already moved up to lightweight in pursuit of facing Makhachev, with whom he maintains a strong rivalry, but the Dagestani fighter has also decided to move up to welterweight in pursuit of the same goal as Topuria.

The White House fight, scheduled to take place on June 14, 2026, will be the largest event in the organization’s history, making it the ideal place for this to be the most important confrontation the organization has ever witnessed.

Makhachev is required to win

For this to happen, Islam Makhachev must first defeat Jack Della Maddalena in the main event of UFC 322 to clinch the welterweight belt from him.

The Dagestani fighter is considered the most likely candidate to win the fight, which will be held on November 16 in Madison Square Garden, but the Australian fighter has achieved 18 consecutive victories, and it will pose a major challenge for him.