At UFC 317 this past Sunday night, Ilia Topuria once again proved why he’s the real deal. Inside the T-Mobile Arena, he flattened another fan-favorite in spectacular fashion—sending Charles Oliveira crashing to the canvas in the very first round and cementing his place in the history books as the UFC’s first undefeated two-division champion. The knockout wasn’t just dominant—it was a mirror image of what Conor McGregor did years ago on his rise to global superstardom.

Ilia became only the 10th fighter in UFC history to hold two belts simultaneously, joining an elite club alongside legends like Conor McGregor and Amanda Nunes.

And just like McGregor, ‘El Matador’ now holds championship gold at 28, stepping into the spotlight at the same age the Irish icon took over the fight game. But the drama didn’t stop with the KO. Moments after the fight, Liverpool favorite Paddy Pimblett charged into the Octagon, issuing a direct challenge, as fans on social media immediately dubbed it the start of a new UK rivalry.

The stunt got attention, but it didn’t sit well with UFC CEO Dana White, who seems to have different plans for the newly crowned double champ.

Ilia Topuria calls out Dana White and team for failing to make the Islam Makhachev fight happen

What once looked like a shark-infested, chaotic pool of potential contenders for Ilia Topuria is now starting to calm—but not in a way that favors the reigning champ. With Dustin Poirier set to retire next month, the list of legitimate threats is quickly narrowing. Names like Arman Tsarukyan and Justin Gaethje remain in the mix, both hungry for their shot at the crown. Still, the Georgian star’s focus hasn’t shifted. He has eyes for just one man: Islam Makhachev.

From the very beginning, Makhachev has been Ilia Topuria’s endgame. But in May, the reigning lightweight champion threw a wrench into those plans by announcing he would vacate his title and move up to welterweight in pursuit of two-division status—seemingly sidestepping the undefeated 28-year-old. That dream fight? It’s starting to look more like fantasy than a real possibility. And Topuria isn’t hiding his frustration.

Speaking backstage with ESPN at UFC 317, he addressed the fight that fans have been calling for—and pointed fingers directly at Dana White and the UFC for why it hasn’t come together. Ilia Topuria said,

“Realistically, from all the conversations I’ve had with the UFC and how the situation has evolved during the whole process, I don’t think that fight is going to happen. I’ll be surprised if I get the call and they tell me they want me to fight Islam—which I would love to do, no problem.”

What once seemed like Islam Makhachev avoiding a showdown with Ilia Topuria now appears to have been a strategic move orchestrated by Dana White and the UFC. Umar Nurmagomedov revealed that UFC CBO Hunter Campbell traveled to Dagestan in early May to persuade Islam Makhachev to move up to welterweight, enabling Topuria’s path at 155 lbs. While some see this as savvy matchmaking, others on Reddit r/ufc are calling it a business-first maneuver to avoid pitting the promotion’s two hottest stars against each other prematurely

Still, the door hasn’t fully closed. Should Makhachev capture the welterweight belt, a return to 155 pounds remains a possibility.

 Topuria reversed his stance on Islam Makhachev’s jump to the welterweight division

“The difference between you and me is that I am a man, and you are a coward,” declared Ilia Topuria last month, taking a direct shot at Islam Makhachev for moving up to the welterweight division—seemingly to avoid a showdown with him. For ‘El Matador’ , the vision has always been clear: to build the kind of blockbuster clash that once defined Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov—a mega-fight that broke records and rewrote pay-per-view history.

But as Ilia Topuria chased that defining moment, the Dagestani standout appeared to chart a different course. Instead of risking his legacy against the undefeated 28-year-old, he opted to pursue double-champion status, vacating his lightweight title along the way. However, in a surprising shift ahead of his UFC 317 appearance last week, ‘El Matador’ changed his tune. he began drawing parallels between Makhachev’s move and his own—having also left the featherweight division behind to pursue lightweight glory.

Speaking with Ariel Helwani, Ilia Topuria offered a more understanding take,

“I think he’s doing his thing. I don’t think he’s ducking me, to be honest,” Topuria said.“I would be lying to you if I told you that he’s ducking me. I think he’s tired of the weight cut. He wants a new challenge. He moved to the welterweight division. He feels and he thinks that he has a chance to become a double champion, and I think that this is all he’s trying to do.”