Ilia Topuria isn’t dreaming small. The unbeaten Georgian-Spanish star already took the featherweight crown, then shocked the MMA world by capturing lightweight gold. Now? He’s eyeing something no fighter in UFC history has ever done: three belts in three divisions. And his target at 170 pounds might be one of the most dominant fighters of this era: Islam Makhachev. However, before Topuria can chase history at welterweight, one fight must happen first—Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 in New York.

If the Dagestani phenom wins and becomes a two-division king, Topuria recently stated that “I’ll definitely move up. Definitely. 100 percent.” But where fans see fireworks, legacy, and history, one man sees potential chaos. Former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman believes there’s a danger in rushing this dream matchup for Dana White, as he recently raised an interesting point!

Kamaru Usman calls on Dana White to hold off on the Ilia Topuria vs Islam Makhachev clash

On the Pound 4 Pound podcast with Henry Cejudo, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ addressed the growing speculation. Cejudo set the stage, saying he understands the hunger for legacy fights. Then he confessed.

“I’ve always wanted to make history, I’ve always wanted to, one, make money and two, make history, or one make history and along with that comes the money,” he said. “So, if Ilia does come in and fight Islam Makhachev, that just throws everything completely off. I know you probably thought about it. Am I wrong?”

He admitted a Topuria vs. Islam matchup could throw the whole welterweight championship picture into chaos. Usman, the former 170 lbs champion, didn’t hesitate with his response.

“The thing is, I don’t think Ilia is trying to stay here. If he does come up, he’s chasing a fight. He’s not chasing the divisions; he’s chasing a fight. And if Islam happens to be that champion, then Ilia could potentially move up. But Ilia is trying to find him anyways. Islam could be anywhere, hiding, not hiding, fighting, winning. Ilia is going to show up. He’s already set his sights on him,” he said.

Then came the key line, a gentle warning disguised as a compliment, as he further shared on the ‘Pound 4 Pound’ podcast.

“All I’m saying is for me it wouldn’t make any difference because I like Ilia, and if he wants to come up, then that would be once in a lifetime type of situation, and hopefully Dana doesn’t do that. Well, not yet.”

As such, Kamaru Usman isn’t rejecting the idea outright; he’s asking for order. Why? Because if Makhachev wins at UFC 322 and Topuria jumps the queue, it could freeze a stacked welterweight division again.

Shavkat Rakhmonov is still undefeated and long overdue for a return. Sean Brady just picked up major momentum with his current 3-fight win streak and is also fighting another rising name, Michael Morales, at UFC 322 next.  And Usman himself, still ranked No. 5, isn’t ready to walk away into the sunset just yet. However, the Dagestani juggernaut has come out with its own take on the situation!

Makhachev confirms interest in White House clash against ‘El Matador’

Islam Makahchev is headed to UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden, aiming to dethrone Jack Della Maddalena and become a two-division champion. If he succeeds, it won’t just be history; it’ll tie Anderson Silva’s legendary 16-fight UFC win streak. And according to Makhachev, the next move is clear: Ilia Topuria, at the most iconic venue in America.

Speaking to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Makhachev revealed his plan by stating, “I have a good fight now and I know [Topuria] is going to fight soon and we’ll see what’s gonna happen. He wants to fight at the White House, and I also want to be there. I know the UFC wants to do some big fight in the White House. Which fight is going to be bigger than this?”

Topuria already stole Makhachev’s lightweight throne, dominantly beating Charles Oliveira to become a two-division champ. Now he sits at No. 1 pound-for-pound, and if the matchup materializes, titles, legacy, bragging rights, everything will be on the line.

Yet, big-fight dreams don’t always translate to contracts. UFC history is filled with “almost” super-fights. So what comes next? If Islam Makhachev triumphs at UFC 322, Dana White won’t just face a matchmaking decision; he’ll face a crossroads: protect the welterweight ladder or chase the biggest superfight in years. Either way, the coming months could define multiple divisions and rewrite UFC history!