Islam Makhachev has officially claimed his place as the new welterweight kingpin. Inside a packed Madison Square Garden, the former lightweight champion delivered a career-defining performance, dethroning Jack Della Maddalena in a grueling five-round battle. It was the moment he had been waiting for all along, says Makhachev, a dream of a lifetime. So what does that mean for the path ahead?

Well, following in the footsteps of Alex Pereira at UFC 320, Makhachev immediately sent a message to UFC CEO Dana White and President Donald Trump for next year’s “biggest and badest card”: the White House event, scheduled for June 14.

After Joe Rogan asked, “There’s no shortage of contenders here at 170 lbs. When would you like to defend this new world title again?” Makhachev’s response was swift: “Donald Trump, let’s go open the White House. I am coming.”

En route to becoming only the 11th fighter to hold UFC championships in two divisions, Makhachev demonstrated complete control from the opening round. He relied on his trademark grappling for nearly 25 minutes, making the win by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) look easy.

Between that and a Hall of Fame stretch (28-1-0), there’s not much left to prove for the 34-year-old. But just when retirement could make sense, the White House card comes off as The opportunity to build on the momentum.

Jon Jones is ready to come out of his retirement, while Conor McGregor is outlining an intense preparation period– it is not often that a VIP crowd of 5000, including foreign dignitaries, rounds up to catch a fight. So it’s only right that the 34-year-old puts his name in the mix.

In fact, last month, Ilia Topuria was the first to call out Makhachev for the White House event, describing it as one of the “biggest fights in UFC history.” Islam Makhachev accepted Topuria’s challenge to battle inside the 55,000-square-foot presidential residence, calling it a “big fight for the MMA community.” However, the 28-year-old wasn’t impressed with Makhachev’s performance today.

“Jack needs an entire camp dedicated just to wrestling. What a disappointment of a champion. You should go to Georgia to learn something. Islam, you need something you can’t train: emotion. You’re the most boring thing in this game. Every day I’m more certain I put you to sleep,” he expressed after the fight.

Regardless, the new walterweight champion is proud of his efforts. “If I take the belt [in 170], I will be ready for anything,” he had said prior to the fight.

As a result, the Spanish-Georgian champion is already turning his attention to 2026. He has confirmed that he will not compete for the remainder of this year but remains fully focused on Islam Makhachev for this high-profile matchup, which even has the support of Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Khabib Nurmagomedov throws support behind Islam Makhachev ahead of Topuria fight talk

While fighters like Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, and Alex Pereira are looking to represent their countries on the UFC White House card, UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov considers nothing bigger than the Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria matchup. Makhachev himself emphasized this point while speaking to Josh Thomson on YouTube, “not Jon Jones and Pereira.”

Jon Jones retired and handed up his gloves back in the summer, vacating his heavyweight title, though he has since returned to the testing pool in October. Meanwhile, Alex Pereira, after reclaiming his light heavyweight title at UFC 320, told Dana White that he wants a fight against Jon Jones next year.

Even with all the hype surrounding Jones vs. Pereira, Nurmagomedov believes it doesn’t compare to Makhachev vs. Topuria, which would feature arguably the two best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. “Still a big fight, but not on that level,” Nurmagomedov said of Jones vs. Pereira. “I don’t think it’s same level.”

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Looking at the division where Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria could face off, UFC veteran Chael Sonnen predicts a welterweight showdown. Both fighters are elite, but few matchups could be as thrilling as seeing the Georgian step up to compete for a third belt.