“You can be a deaf mute. If you’re a bad a–, that’s what I’m interested in. I’m interested in how good you are at fighting.” That’s Dana White’s bottom line. But what really makes a UFC superstar? Skills alone? Not quite. “If you have a personality like Conor and Ronda and all these others, it’s a home run. It doesn’t s–k,” White once admitted. And let’s be real, big names don’t just win fights. They make big money for the organization, and of course, for themselves. And speaking of big names, let’s talk about Islam Makhachev.
The reigning lightweight champ, one of the most dominant forces in the UFC today, is now at the center of a swirling debate. Who’s next in line? According to UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping, the answer might be featherweight champion-turned-lightweight Ilia Topuria. “Realistically, any of those guys that I just mentioned, Islam, Arman (Tsarukyan), Charles (Oliveira), Justin (Gaethje), any single one of them, and it might be one of them,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “But it’s probably going to be, if you asked me to bet, I think Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria (is next).”
So, is this the fight we’re getting? The timing seems to make sense. ‘El Matador’ vacated his featherweight title, eager to move up to lightweight and pursue a second belt. But does he deserve an immediate title shot? The Dagestani, for one, isn’t thrilled about the idea of fighting another featherweight after already taking out Alexander Volkanovski twice. Yet, the UFC needs big fights, and Bisping believes this matchup is too good to pass up.
“Granted, Ilia is special. But if he lost to them (other contenders), there’s a massive market opportunity lost there. Because Ilia vs. Islam, Ilia still being in a lot of people’s minds the featherweight champion against the lightweight champion, there’s something there,” ‘The Count’ explained. “If he loses to Gaethje and two or three fights later gets a shot, it’s not quite the same sell.”
And that’s where things get interesting. Makhachev may want to move up to welterweight, but with his friend Belal Muhammad holding the belt, that move is on ice. The lightweight division isn’t exactly overflowing with clear contenders, and in a sport where every matchup is a business decision, the UFC might see Topuria as the most marketable option.
Can Islam Makhachev fix the UFC’s marketability dilemma?
Now, is this fight about merit or marketability? Because if you ask Brendan Schaub and Bryan Callen from The Fighter and The Kid podcast, the UFC’s got a problem, it’s running out of personalities that sell. “Americans gotta step up and start competing with the Dagis,” Callen joked before Schaub cut in, “Who is a grind-him-to-the-ground-style fighter? (Magomed) Ankalaev does it, Makhachev does it, Khabib (Nurmagomedov) did.”
Callen argued back, “They’re exciting fighters,” but even he admitted that the Dagestani fighters aren’t exactly lighting up the PPV charts. And therein lies the UFC’s conundrum. Winning matters, but so does drawing eyes to the sport. ‘The Notorious’ proved that. Rousey proved that. UFC boss even admitted it, skills come first, but personality makes a fighter a superstar. Without a megastar, the UFC has been struggling to sell major PPVs. UFC 313? Some weren’t exactly happy with the card, especially since the superstar on the card Alex Pereira lost emphatically.
And as Bisping already laid out, the UFC isn’t about to let a golden opportunity slip away. “The public wouldn’t be quite still as invested (if it’s not a champ-champ fight). So I think they’re going to give him the title fight. I think Islam is going to take it. Granted, he wants a shot at becoming a two-weight champion, but he’s going to have to wait. So in the meantime, you take out Ilia Topuria, which would be an absolutely blockbuster fight.”, ‘The Count’ seems convinced.
And we know the UFC boss, may not say it outright, but he’s in the business of selling fights. If Islam Makhachev fights Ilia Topuria next, it won’t be just about rankings. It’ll be about headlines, cash, and keeping the UFC machine rolling. So, what do you think? Does Islam vs. Ilia happen because it’s the best fight or because the UFC is desperate for a blockbuster? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
The post Islam Makhachev’s Next Fight Details Revealed by UFC Insider as Ilia Topuria’s Title Shot Chances Gets an Update appeared first on EssentiallySports.
