Islam Makhachev / Getty Images

Islam Makhachev Sends Ilia Topuria a Message With Big Implications

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Prince Horton | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 9:44 PM ET

Topuria’s rise to No. 1 and Makhachev’s response set the stage for a potential superfight

UFC 317 is now in the rearview, but the night will be remembered for one of the most emphatic statements in recent memory. Ilia Topuria demolished former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira in the opening round, a stunning finish that shocked fans and sent a clear message to the division. That dominant performance didn’t just earn Topuria the win — it catapulted him to the very top of the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings, leapfrogging Merab Dvalishvili and longtime No. 1, Islam Makhachev. Now, the reigning lightweight king has broken his silence on the shake-up.

During UFC’s Abu Dhabi event, which saw former champion Robert Whittaker fall to Reinier de Ridder in the main event, Makhachev addressed his ranking slide in a candid moment captured by Championship Rounds.

‘Well, it’s marketing. They’re doing it on purpose to promote this fight,’ he said. ‘So they do it right, and we’ll be fighting for the #1 spot in the rankings.’ Makhachev sees Topuria’s rise as a strategic move, an intentional effort to generate hype for a potential superfight — and he’s not wrong.

Islam Makhachev reacts to Ilia Topuria taking his spot as the #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world

"Well, it's marketing. They're doing it on purpose to promote this fight... So they do it right, and we'll be fighting for the #1 spot in the rankings."

@ufc pic.twitter.com/RVjUPxBMi2
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) July 27, 2025

A clash between the two would be more than a title bout; it would be for the ultimate bragging rights as the best fighter on the planet.

Dana White seems to agree. Speaking on the Full Send Podcast , White didn’t mince words about the stakes. ‘If Islam wins, that’s the fight to make,’ he said. White emphasized that a victory over Jack Della Maddalena would set the stage for an epic showdown with Topuria. If the UFC follows through, fans could be looking at one of the most anticipated battles for pound-for-pound supremacy in the sport’s history.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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