What initially promised a diverse fight card quickly became a night that highlighted the Topurias in the spotlight. UFC bantamweight star Aleksandre Topuria, the older brother, displayed his well-rounded skills during the prelims at the ABHA Arena. With a dominant performance, he won two of the three rounds and secured a unanimous decision victory. As a result, the striking-heavy bout extended Aleksandre’s win streak to five, marking a strong continuation of his UFC journey. Although champion Ilia Topuria didn’t compete on the card, he remained a focal point throughout the night.

The Georgian lightweight champion cheered for his brother and even engaged in a tense rivalry with top contender Arman Tsarukyan. ‘Akhalkalakets’ now appears to be the likely next opponent for Ilia, while at the same time, Paddy Pimblett’s name has been circulating in rumors for weeks. Meanwhile, speculation is rife with the idea that Topuria may move up to 170 pounds to face Islam Makhachev. However, Aleksandre Topuria addressed the rumors and set the record straight regarding any potential superfight with Makhachev.

Ilia Topuria’s elder brother reveals what the champion needs to do next

After moving to 2-0 under Dana White & Co., Aleksandre Topuria addressed the media at the post-fight press conference. However, it was Ilia Topuria who drew the majority of questions from reporters. For instance, one asked, “Outside of your own fight, we have Islam here, Paddy Pimblett here, Dan Hooker, and others fighting. Who do you think your brother should fight next?” Aleksandre admitted it was a “tough question.”

He was then asked, “Which weight class would you prefer?” At that point, Aleksandre shared his perspective on his brother’s path, stating, “The perfect scenario would be a fight for the third title, but I think he has to defend the title in the lightweight division.” Ilia Topuria claimed the lightweight belt in late June, becoming the 10th fighter in UFC history to hold championships in two divisions.

However, despite this achievement, his first title defense has yet to be scheduled.

As the year comes to a close, Ilia Topuria has expressed interest in facing reigning welterweight champion Islam Makhachev at 170 pounds in next year’s UFC event for a third belt—a matchup even hailed by Khabib Nurmagomedov as the “biggest fight” in UFC history. Additionally, two weeks ago, following his win over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322, Makhachev directly called out Donald Trump to “open the White House” so he could face ‘El Matador’.

Although the UFC White House event is still in the planning stages, behind the scenes, notable figures such as Conor McGregor and Jon Jones are reportedly pushing for the fight to take place as a “one-and-done” event inside the presidential residence, which Dana White has given tentative approval.

Islam Makhachev, White House fight possible, Dana White sets condition

The UFC White House event was originally scheduled for July 4 to mark America’s 250th birthday, but Donald Trump later moved it to June 14, his own birthday. At the same time, Jon Jones effectively closed the door on his chance to fight at the event by choosing not to participate. As for Islam Makhachev, Dana White emphasized that the card will not be an “America vs. the World” event, though he still described it as the best card possible.

He also highlighted Islam Makhachev’s potential role on the card and the significance it could have for his legacy. “We’re talking about [Makhachev] possibly GOAT talk here, depending on what he does in his next couple of fights,” White said. “So it’s a possibility.”

However, whether it will be against Ilia Topuria or not is still uncertain. In the meantime, analysts note that only Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev are the fighters who drew the top two live gate UFC events in 2025: Topuria at UFC 317 and Makhachev at UFC 322. Do you think these two together could break records next year? Drop your opinion below.