It’s not often that the UFC alerts its fans of an impending announcement.
So when they took to social media to announce that president and CEO Dana White had big news on Wednesday night, over 40,000 people tuned in to the boss’s Instagram Live, where he detailed a series of landscape-altering matchups alongside other news.
Michael Chandler will take on Paddy Pimblett and UFC newcomer Patricio Pitbull will face Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314.
Belal Muhammad will attempt to defend the welterweight strap against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315, with flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko facing Manon Fiorot in the co-main event.
White also replied to a commenter on the livestream and reaffirmed that Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall was still in the works.
Amid all the news, the biggest story was that featherweight champ Ilia Topuria would move to lightweight and vacate the 145-pound belt. As a result, former featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski will face Diego Lopes at UFC 314 for the now vacant title.
To most fans, this felt like a suggestion that Topuria would fight lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. The fight had been speculated for a while, especially when rumors emerged that Topuria could no longer make the featherweight limit.
White didn’t confirm this fight on Wednesday, but a meeting between Topuria and Makhachev was on most fans’ 2025 wishlists, so many expected the fight to be announced eventually.
The matchup would be a marketing godsend. Both are currently on track to become the best fighters in their division’s history.
Topuria is undefeated in the UFC and is coming off knockout wins against two of the best 145ers ever. Makhachev is one win away from tying the longest winning streak in UFC history.
It would be the first planned champ-versus-champ fight since UFC 284.
Unfortunately, hopes of the fight’s official booking were dimmed when Lopes revealed in an interview that the UFC wasn’t going to allow champions to pursue a second belt without first vacating their title.
White made some effort to deny Lopes’ claims after UFC Seattle, saying he was okay with double champs but that “they’d be busy.”
He further asserted that Topuria made the choice himself, adding that, if the matchup with Makhachev was confirmed, he would’ve announced it.
If the UFC had planned to make the super fight, they would have allowed, or forced, Topuria to keep the belt — at least for the promotion.
Now, fans are left speculating about which lightweight contender Topuria will fight.
Dustin Poirier seems like the most likely option. He and Topuria have some of the best pure boxing in the UFC, and both of their legacies would benefit greatly from the win.
Arman Tsarukyan should fight Makhachev next, but is facing punishment from the UFC for pulling out of his January main event slot the day before.
Charles Oliveira and the winner of Justin Gaethje’s fight against Dan Hooker are potential opponents too, but if the UFC makes any of these matchups, they might miss out on one of the biggest fights in the sport’s history.
I fully support the implementation of these new rules surrounding double champs. Divisions can be stagnated for months by a champion looking to fight up a weight class. Champions that do make the move are sometimes outclassed immediately.
I think a fight with a contender at the higher weight class is the right approach — let the competitor moving up settle into the new weight class and prove they can take on the division’s best, then allow them a title shot.
My only issue is the timing of these new rules.
Topuria vs. Makhachev as a champ-versus-champ fight would’ve broken records. As the main event of UFC 317 during International Fight Week, along with a well-built card with some prospects and popular contenders, the fight would likely draw the biggest gate in recent history.
The fight could still happen, and if Topuria gets a win over a lightweight contender under his belt too, it could be just as big.
The UFC is obviously reluctant to give anyone with a single-title defense a shot at a second belt, regardless of how impressive their resume is already. However, this fight needs to happen before Makhachev also moves up, which seems imminent.
It’s now or never, leaving us hoping this once-in-a-lifetime matchup doesn’t slip through our fingers.
