Islam Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) is about three months removed from his most recent trek to the Octagon on a night where the stakes were at their highest. In mid-November, Makhachev traveled to Madison Square Garden in New York City.

That night, UFC 322 was held inside The World’s Most Famous Arena in The Big Apple, with the main event of the evening serving as Islam Makhachev’s first fight since vacating the UFC Lightweight Championship to devote time to fighting at welterweight. This vacancy would be official as of June 28.

In June of last year, Ilia Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) finished Charles Oliveira (36-11, 1 NC MMA, 24-11, 1 NC UFC) with a first-round knockout to take the UFC Lightweight Championship, and it’s looking like an Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev fight could very well be on the UFC’s schedule for the second quarter of the year.

Islam Makhachev Aiming for June 14 Fight vs. Ilia Topuria

On June 14, The White House grounds in Washington, DC will serve as the setting for the UFC White House card. While no concrete plans for the one-off event in the nation’s capital are set as of now, Islam Makhachev wants to be on the show.

Ari Emmanuel, CEO of UFC parent company TKO Group, mentioned that UFC White House will feature a trimmed-down fight card with six or seven contests happening the weekend before Father’s Day. Matchmaking for this one-off show started to take shape at the Tuesday meeting in Las Vegas.

Ever since the UFC first announced that it was targeting a show in Washington on The White House grounds, a host of fighters have advocated for a spot on the card at one time or another, including Islam Makhachev. He recently spoke to Telegraf about the possibility of fighting Ilia Topuria.

“I like this idea,” Makhachev said of squaring off against Ilia Topuria in his next fight. “If the UFC wants it, and I know a lot of MMA fans want this fight, I’m ready.”

Makhachev Game About Fighting on White House Card

As previously mentioned, the UFC White House event in June has become a tantalizing show for the promotion’s top fighters to appear on. With a more finite number of slots than what’s usually available for this particular card, it’s probable that more than one elite name is going to be on the outside looking in when the calendar hits June.

Islam Makhachev is hopeful that he isn’t going to be one of the names left out of the running for the White House card.

“It is also one of the arenas where I’m maybe going to fight next,” he said. “We have the Ramadan month, so I will not train for a month, and after that, I will slowly begin my training camp, and I will be ready.”

Father Time on Islam Makhachev’s Side for Possible UFC White House Appearance

Timing won’t be an issue for Islam Makhachev as he gears up for a possible contest vs. Ilia Topuria at The White House. Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, begins on the night of Feb. 17 and continues through March 19.

In Ramadan, adults are required to fast, barring those with medical issues, from the morning’s first light to sundown each day. Given the calendar, Islam Makhachev would not have an issue with preparing for his upcoming fight.

Still, the mandatory hiatus for Ramadan not interfering with training camp wouldn’t necessarily mean that he’d be getting the call to fight in Washington, DC.

Final Thoughts

Islam Makhachev is eager to fight Ilia Topuria in one venue or another. To be honest, a Makhachev vs. Topuria fight, whether it’s on the card at The White House or not, is one that’ll move the needle.

While the fights taking place in Washington in the middle of June will no doubt be appealing contests on paper, so is the Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria tilt. Think about it:

The pre-fight promotional material practically writes itself. You’d have a champ battling another champ in what could be a main event scrap. Regardless of where it’s placed on which card, this has fireworks written all over it.