“Oh man, I’m tired of giving chances to small guys,” Islam Makhachev remarked, clearly frustrated by the persistent callouts from UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria. The Georgian-Spanish juggernaut has been vocal about wanting to become a two-division champion, setting his sights on Makhachev’s 155lbs strap. But what’s the holdup? Well, ‘El Matador’ has only ever defended his featherweight belt once. At the same time, Makhachev—who already faced criticism for back-to-back victories over former 145-pound champion Alexander Volkanovski—is reluctant to entertain another featherweight moving up.

Close friend and mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov, who questioned the legitimacy of the matchup fully supported his stance, saying, “Why does Islam need to give a third chance to the 145-pound champion? Why?” According to ‘The Eagle’, such a fight would be “unfair.” Despite Ilia Topuria’s repeated challenges, Islam Makhachev hasn’t completely shut the door on a potential clash but he has set clear conditions.

Speaking to Match TV, he made his stance known: “I’m not going to give him a shot right away because he hasn’t done all the work he was supposed to in his weight class. There are still contenders he needs to beat, but he doesn’t want to cut weight anymore. Let him move up and earn his shot, and we’ll definitely fight.”

But how much longer can Islam Makhachev stay at lightweight? While ‘El Matador’ chases a second belt, the Dagestani prospect has his sights set beyond 155 pounds. With four title defenses under his belt—his latest being a dominant submission win over Renato Moicano at UFC 311—he’s quickly running out of worthy challengers in the division.

With limited competition left, the reigning lightweight king is looking for new challenges. “I want a new challenge, a new belt. The welterweight belt is the thing that makes me wake up early in the morning and train every day; this is my dream,” Makhachev admitted. If a move to 170 pounds doesn’t pan out, he’s even open to testing himself in the middleweight division.

What was Dana White’s take on Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev

Like Islam Makhachev, Dana White isn’t on board with an Ilia Topuria vs. Makhachev matchup—but for completely different reasons. While Makhachev questions the Georgian-Spaniard’s legitimacy as a challenger, White’s reluctance is rooted in business strategy. ‘El Matador’ has rapidly become the face of the featherweight division, especially with longtime stars like Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski nearing the twilight of their careers.

As the reigning 145-pound champion, he is crucial to the division’s future, and Dana White is unwilling to derail its momentum. Speaking to TMZ Sports last month, the UFC CEO made it clear that Topuria has unfinished business at featherweight before considering a move up. “Before we start talking about guys moving up to other weight classes, I mean, look at Max Holloway. When he moved up, he had wiped out the entire division [and proved to be] the best 145-pounder, and then Volkanovski [did the same]. So there are plenty of challenges [left] for him [Topuria] at 145,” White stated.

What are your thoughts on a potential Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria showdown? Should Dana White make the fight happen now, or should the Georgian-Spaniard first dominate his division—just as Max Holloway, Alexander Volkanovski, and nearly Islam Makhachev have done? Share your opinion below!