Islam Makhachev Could Still Fight On UFC White House Card<\/p>\n
During an interview with Ushatayka (h\/t Championship Rounds<\/a>), Makhachev revealed that while he still might fight on the White House card, he\u2019s fairly confident that he won\u2019t be standing across from Topuria. <\/p>\n READ MORE: UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey Unretires to Face MMA Legend in Netflix Superfight<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re still discussing an approximate date for my fight,\u201d Makhachev said. \u201cEven it\u2019s not at The White House, it\u2019ll be around that time. I\u2019m not ruling out The White House option either. As of today, that\u2019s the most likely scenario. \u201cI think [the Topuria fight] definitely won\u2019t be at The White House, because he already has opponents lined up , and the UFC isn\u2019t interested in that fight right now. <\/p>\n Islam Makhachev (blue gloves) fights Jack Della Maddalena (red gloves) in the welterweight championship bout during UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden. | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Currently on a staggering 16-fight win streak that dates back to the lone career loss he suffered in his second UFC outing, Makhachev successfully defended the UFC lightweight belt on four occasions before he moved up to welterweight at UFC 322 and unseated Jack Della Maddalena with a dominant performance. <\/p>\n Ilia Topuria Already Lined Up For UFC Title Unification Fight<\/p>\n Topuria is undefeated in his 17-fight professional MMA career, and he\u2019s collected nine wins since he joined the UFC in 2020 and took a unanimous decision over Youssef Zalal. <\/p>\n READ MORE: UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey Breaks Silence on Shocking MMA Return Announcement<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cEl Matador\u201d knocked out longtime UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski to claim UFC gold at UFC 298 before he also stopped divisional great Max Holloway in his lone title defense later that year. After choosing to vacate that title, Topuria moved up to lightweight at UFC 317 and finished former UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira less than halfway through the opening round to win the vacant 155 lbs. title. <\/p>\n Ilia Topuria (red gloves) fights Charles Oliveira (blue gloves) during UFC 317 at T-Mobile Arena. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images<\/p>\n The 29-year-old will presumably face Interim UFC Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje in a title unification bout <\/a>upon his return, while Makhachev has several options such as Ian Machado Garry and Michael Morales that are waiting for the first title shots <\/a>of their respective UFC careers. <\/p>\n More MMA Knockout News<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a03 Things UFC, Dana White Can Do to Fix Heavyweight Division in Tom Aspinall’s Absence<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0UFC Champion Called Out for UFC 326 Showdown After Recent Title Fight Demand<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0Pivotal UFC Contender Fight Booked for First UFC Ottawa Card in Nearly 7 Years<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a025-Fight UFC Veteran Shockingly Ends Retirement for Bareknuckle MMA Tournament<\/a><\/p>\n Stick with\u00a0MMAKnockout<\/a>\u00a0for more FREE coverage of the UFC and MMA.<\/p>\n Follow MMAKnockout on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0Twitter<\/a>, and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Islam](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/01khrsjzt8adt3e4vraf.jpg\" "\\"Islam")
<\/p>\n![\"Ilia](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/01khrsmxpx770kbha3b7.jpg\" "\\"Ilia")
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