After Islam Makhachev’s dominant victory over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322, he has officially become the UFC welterweight champion. With this historic win inside Madison Square Garden, Makhachev answered many lingering questions surrounding the promotion’s 155-pound landscape. Consequently, several months have passed since Ilia Topuria claimed the vacant lightweight title following Makhachev’s decision to vacate it. Despite this, Topuria has yet to announce his first title defense.

Reports suggest that Dana White & Co. may schedule it for early 2026. The fight is reportedly being delayed to align with the end of the broadcasting deal with ESPN, allowing the promotion to capitalize on it next year under the new Paramount+ partnership. With Islam Makhachev now established as the welterweight champion and unlikely to drop back down, the focus on Topuria’s next opponent has intensified. With the division wide open and several contenders pushing for a shot, three names stand out as the most likely options for his next fight.

Islam Makhachev

Despite Islam Makhachev’s successful move to welterweight, Ilia Topuria has made it clear that he plans to pursue a third belt and eventually challenge in the welterweight division, with tensions between the two fighters simmering since last year. Meanwhile, the promotion is reportedly planning a UFC White House event on June 14, which could become a historic one-off card featuring high-profile guests. Already, fighters such as Jon Jones and Conor McGregor have expressed interest, though the promotion has yet to finalize any details.

Ilia Topuria recently spoke about a potential showdown with Islam Makhachev during an interview on Giorgi Kokiashvili’s podcast. He said, “I want to fight Makhachev. It would be one of the biggest fights in UFC history. Nobody has ever fought for a third belt. Islam dominated at lightweight and then moved up in weight, so I think it would be an incredible fight.” Following this, Makhachev welcomed Topuria’s callout, adding, “He wants to fight in White House, I also want to be there. It’s gonna be big fight for MMA community. If UFC want this fight, we can do this.”

Consequently, the Spanish-Georgian champion is already turning his focus to 2026, and he has confirmed that he will not compete again for the remainder of this year.

‘El Matador’s callout has also drawn support from veterans such as Chael Sonnen, who argued that moving up to welterweight would make strong financial sense. According to Sonnen, a Topuria vs. Makhachev showdown could grow into an even “bigger” event for the UFC.

Justin Gatehje

Although Justin Gaethje and Islam Makhachev have competed in the same division for years, they have never faced each other inside the Octagon. Earlier this year, at UFC 313 in March, Gaethje delivered a dominant win over Rafael Fiziev, positioning himself as a leading contender for the next title fight—a status confirmed by UFC CEO Dana White. Many, including UFC legend Henry Cejudo, immediately placed “The Highlight” in the title picture, a sentiment echoed during the UFC 313 post-fight press conference.

When asked about Gaethje’s path to the championship, Dana White said, “I mean, what’s he ranked now? Fourth or something? He’s still the number three ranked guy in the world, so the odds of him getting the title shot are pretty good.” Later in the year, Gaethje’s team made it clear that he would retire if he did not receive a title shot.

Responding to this, Dana White stated, “Listen, everybody has their opinions on… listen, if you’re thinking about retiring, you know how I feel about that, you should probably retire.” More recently, Ali Abdelaziz claimed that the UFC is waiting for Makhachev’s next fight, as well as the upcoming Dan Hooker vs. Arman Tsarukyan bout, to conclude before potentially announcing Ilia Topuria’s first title defense.

Paddy Pimblett

One of the most compelling options on the table for lightweight champion Ilia Topuria right now is No. 6-ranked contender Paddy Pimblett. The rivalry between them has been building for years and famously boiled over in 2022 when a hotel altercation between the two turned into a brief brawl. Since then, the idea of a Topuria vs. Pimblett showdown has continued to gain traction.

In a recent interview with Diario AS, ‘El Matador’ openly embraced the possibility of settling the score with Pimblett, saying, “If it were up to me, I think I’d rather fight Paddy because there’s a history between us. And I think it would be a much more entertaining fight for the fans.” The champion seems eager to put an end to the lingering tension from their UFC 317 run-in.

Pimblett, still undefeated in the UFC after wins over Tony Ferguson and Michael Chandler, has also received the green light from his coach, Paul Rimmer, for a potential clash next year. Adding to the momentum, Nolan King of MMA Junkie reported on Thursday that the UFC has requested an event permit for January 24, 2026, in Las Vegas, a date expected to align with UFC 324.

Who do you think should be Ilia Topuria’s next opponent? Share your thoughts and let us know who you want to see him face next.