Islam Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) is about three months removed from his most recent trek to the Octagon on a night when the stakes were at their highest. In mid-November, Makhachev traveled to Madison Square Garden in New York City.
That evening, UFC 322 was held at the world’s most famous arena in The Big Apple, with the evening’s main event serving as Islam Makhachev’s first fight since leaving the UFC Lightweight Championship to spend time fighting at welterweight. This vacancy would be official as of June 28.
In June last year, Ilia Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) won completed Charles Oliveira (36-11, 1 NC MMA, 24-11, 1 NC UFC) with a first-round knockout to win the UFC Lightweight Championship, and it looks like a fight between Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev could very well be on the UFC’s schedule for the second quarter of the year.
Islam Makhachev is aiming for a June 14 fight against Ilia Topuria
On June 14, the White House grounds in Washington DC will serve as the backdrop for the UFC White House card. Although there are currently no concrete plans for the one-off event in the country’s capital, Islam Makhachev wants to attend.
Ari Emmanuel, CEO of UFC parent company TKO Group, said UFC White House will have a shortened fight card with six or seven bouts taking place the weekend before Father’s Day. Matchmaking as this one-off show began to take shape during Tuesday’s gathering in Las Vegas.
Since the UFC first announced it was targeting a Washington show on the White House grounds, a host of fighters have pushed for a spot on the card at one time or another, including Islam Makhachev. He recently spoke to Telegraf about the possibility of fighting Ilia Topuria.
“I like this idea,” Makhachev said of fighting Ilia Topuria in his next fight. “If the UFC wants it, and I know a lot of MMA fans want this fight, I’m ready.”
Makhachev game about fighting on the White House map
As previously mentioned, the UFC White House event in June has become an enticing showcase for the promotion’s top fighters. With a more limited number of slots than what is usually available for this particular card, it is likely that there will be more than one elite name on the outside looking in when calendar June rolls around.
Islam Makhachev is hopeful that he will not be one of the names ineligible for the White House ticket.
“It’s also one of the arenas where I might fight next time,” he said. “We have the month of Ramadan, so I won’t train for a month, and then I will slowly start my training camp, and I will be ready.”
Father Time is siding with Islam Makhachev for a possible appearance at the UFC White House
Timing will not be an issue for Islam Makhachev as he prepares for a possible match against Ilia Topuria at the White House. Ramadan, the holy month for Muslims, begins on the night of February 17 and lasts until March 19.
During Ramadan, adults are required to fast every day, except for those with medical problems, from first light until sunset. Considering the calendar, Islam Makhachev should have no problem preparing for his upcoming fight.
Still, the mandatory break due to Ramadan, which would not interfere with training camp, would not necessarily mean he would get the call to fight in Washington DC.
Final thoughts
Islam Makhachev is eager to fight Ilia Topuria in one venue or another. To be fair, a fight between Makhachev and Topuria, whether it’s scheduled at the White House or not, is one that will move the needle.
While the fights taking place in Washington in mid-June will undoubtedly be attractive matches on paper, so will the fight between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria. Think about it:
The pre-fight promotional material practically writes itself. You would have a champion fighting another champion in what could be a main event scrap. No matter where it is placed on which map, it has fireworks written all over it.
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