Someone should let Dana White know that a problem delayed is not a problem denied. White has time and again acknowledged that the title fight ruckus at welterweight is ‘a good problem to have,’ which is perhaps why he is taking his sweet time with it. But with the champion, Islam Makhachev, inching closer to retirement, the clock may wind down on the superfights with Ilia Topuria and Kamaru Usman sooner than expected. Yet the CEO is in no hurry.

The Dagestani standout defeated Jack Della Maddalena for the 170 lbs title last year and immediately turned his attention to former champion Kamaru Usman, much to the ire of fans and other welterweight contenders. While Usman is also open to the idea, Dana White appears to have different plans for the men involved. White recently appeared in an interview with Complex News, where he shared those plans with the fans. 

Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria: Is that happening? 

When Complex’s Matt Welty raised the topic of Islam Makhachev’s interest in facing Kamaru Usman, Dana White shut down those possibilities—for now. “I don’t know. We’ve got to see how some of the stuff plays out. We’ve got to see when Topuria is coming back,” White said, suggesting that Ilia Topuria’s return could significantly influence Makhachev’s next move.

Outlining his ideal scenario for Topuria, White claimed that the winner of Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett would be next in line. “In a perfect world, he fights one of these two that’s fighting for the title right now,” White added, hinting that an undisputed welterweight bout for Topuria may not be immediate. White even brought Khamzat Chimaev into the conversation.

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“And Chimaev – when’s he coming back? There are still a lot of things that have to play out before I can decide who fights who,” White told Matt Welty during the interview.

White throwing Chimaev into the mix may be a sign of big things to come. He and Usman have unfinished business. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ pushed Chimaev to his limits on short notice at UFC 294. Based on that performance alone, he has more claim to a middleweight title shot against ‘Borz’ than a welterweight one against Makhachev.

The middleweight champion has also expressed interest in facing Makhachev at 170 lbs. But that fight hinges on a big ‘if.’

Chimaev was exiled from competition for almost a year for missing the welterweight limit and forcing the UFC 279 main card to be shuffled at the top. It is highly unlikely that White lets him drop down again. That makes Topuria vs. Makhachev the biggest fight the UFC can make at welterweight.

Meanwhile, Merab Dvalishvili—who shares Georgian roots with Ilia Topuria—has offered insider knowledge from Topuria’s camp. “I know some details from Ilia. It might happen sooner than we imagine,” Merab told adjarabet[dot]com.

If the Makhachev vs. Topuria fight does come together, the Spanish-Georgian lightweight champion would have a rare opportunity to become a three-division UFC champion. It would also be a fitting headliner for the June 14 UFC White House card. And even as the fight remains speculation, Merab Dvalishvili appears to have some bad news for Makhachev.

Merab Dvalishvili predicts Topuria vs. Makhachev

The former UFC bantamweight champion recently visited Spain to train with Ilia Topuria and work on his skills on the feet after suffering a devastating loss to Petr Yan in their rematch last month. He came back from Spain with some bad news for Makhachev. 

“I’ve never felt that kind of power or that level of technique from anyone else… the feeling I get with Ilia, I haven’t felt with anyone else,” Merab told MMA Pros Pick. “He has a very big chance against Islam Makhachev. I’ve become convinced of that once again now that I’ve returned from Spain.”

“I would even give a higher percentage to Ilia, even if the fight takes place at welterweight,” Merab added. But Islam is not oblivious to Topuria’s power.

Speaking to Red Corner MMA a few weeks ago, Makhachev compared Topuria to Conor McGregor. Guess who he picked to be the more powerful hitter?

“If we’re talking about pure offensive power, maybe Topuria has more. But as a counter-puncher, McGregor was better,” Makhachev said.

So, the situation is fairly straightforward. Makhachev fighting Usman hinges largely on Ilia Topuria’s return plans. And if the two former lightweights fight each other, it will bring both the welterweight and lightweight divisions to a standstill for a while. Where do you see the chips falling in this rivalry?