With his dominant welterweight title win over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322, Islam Makhachev is now staring at a calendar that includes Ramadan, a summer return, and a UFC event that doesn’t come with a usual arena backdrop. The historic White House card on June 14.

While the stage is big, the risks are even bigger. His team’s philosophy, led by Khabib Nurmagomedov, is built on eliminating variables. New venues, first-time events, and unknown logistics usually land in the ‘avoidance’ column. Yet Makhachev’s latest comments suggest he’s willing to test that comfort zone, even if it means nudging against ‘The Eagle’s cautious playbook.

Speaking to Telegraf in a recent interview, Makhachev kept his stance simple and open-ended with, “Now in my division, lot of contenders who deserve the title fight. Just UFC have to give me a new target. That’s it. I’m just waiting.”

Then came the name that keeps circling him: Ilia Topuria. The lightweight champion has already said he’d go up to 170 for the right fight, and Makhachev didn’t shut that door. When asked about the matchup, he said, “Yeah, I like this idea. If UFC want, I know that lot of MMA fans want this fight. I’m ready.” That’s about as clear as it gets. He isn’t calling ‘El Matador’ out, but he’s not dodging him either.

So what about the White House card? According to the welterweight champion, “Yeah, also it’s one of the arenas where maybe I’m going to fight next. We have the Ramadan month when I’m not going to train for one month. After that, I will slowly begin my training camp and I will be ready. White House or other dates, I will be ready.”

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The holy month of Ramadan runs from Feb. 17 to March 19, during which he won’t train. After that, he plans to ramp up. The context here matters. Khabib Nurmagomedov has openly warned his protégé about the White House event. In a previous interview with Red Corner MMA, Makhachev confessed, “Sometimes Khabib says he doesn’t want me to fight in Abu Dhabi because of too many factors of distraction, and probably the White House event will be no different.”

He also pointed to past logistical headaches like the early weigh-in chaos before the 2023 Alexander Volkanovski fight in Australia as one of the reasons to avoid unknown setups. So, is Islam Makhachev going against Coach Khabib’s wishes? Not outright. But he’s clearly saying yes to possibilities his coach once wanted him to avoid. However, according to another coach, Ian Machado Garry is the name who should be standing in front of the champion next!

Ian Machado Garry’s coach campaigns for his title shot against Islam Makhachev

If Islam Makhachev is open to new stages and new opponents, the line behind him is already getting loud. Ian Machado Garry’s head coach, Diego Lima, recently made the case that the Irish welterweight deserves first crack at Makhachev’s 170-pound belt after going 10–1 in the UFC.

Garry’s 2025 run with wins over Carlos Prates and Belal Muhammad, with his only pro loss coming on short notice to Shavkat Rakhmonov, is the résumé Lima keeps pointing to. In his view, momentum matters, and recent form should trump legacy.

In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Lima shared, “It’s a division where it’s hard to pick a favorite in almost every fight. … But I believe that, without a doubt, the fight to make for the title is Ian Garry.”

That’s why Lima pushed back on the idea of Kamaru Usman jumping the queue after one win in his last four. He didn’t mince words about the politics either, noting both Usman and Makhachev are managed by Ali Abdelaziz. His solution? Don’t even get dragged into that debate.

Why Garry over the rest of the division? The answer, according to him, is simple: “He sells a lot. I believe he has all the characteristics and requirements to face Islam Makhachev for the welterweight 170 title.”

A White House clash against Ilia Topuria would be historic and risky. A welterweight title defense against a rising name like Ian Machado Garry would test Islam Makhachev in a different way, against youth, pace, and hype. So what’s the smart play? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!