Dana White shuts down Ilia Topuria’s talk of challenging Islam Makhachev at lightweight: “This is his first title defense”

UFC President Dana White doesn’t want to see Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev just yet.

‘El Matador’ is set to return to the octagon in the main event of UFC 308 this Saturday night. Back for the first time since winning featherweight gold against Alexander Volkanovski in February, Ilia Topuria will face Max Holloway. ‘Blessed’ earned the title opportunity with a knockout win over Justin Gaethje in April.

Ahead of the contest, both featherweights have teased a move to lightweight. For his part, Ilia Topuria has continuously teased a fight against Islam Makhachev. As of now, the Russian is expected to face Arman Tsarukyan in a rematch in January at UFC 311. Makhachev previously defeated the Armenian contender by unanimous decision in 2017.

For what it’s worth, the lightweight champion has also shown interest in facing Ilia Topuria in the past. However, one thing is for sure: The fight won’t be happening anytime soon. Speaking in a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Dana White was asked about a potential Topuria vs. Makhachev bout.

RELATED: DANA WHITE REVEALS HE’LL “ABSOLUTELY” APPROVE ISLAM MAKHACHEV WELTERWEIGHT TITLE SHOT WITH WIN OVER ARMAN TSARUKYAN

Dana White is NOT a fan of booking Ilia Topuria vs Islam Makhachev after #UFC308 😬

“This is [Ilia’s] first title defense… there’s plenty of challenges for him at 145 [lbs].”

🎥 @TMZ_Sports #UFC #MMApic.twitter.com/ULcnbTxbJc

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 25, 2024

UFC President Dana White reacts to talk of Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev
There, the promoter shot down the idea. While Ilia Topuria believes that a lightweight bout against Islam Makhachev makes sense, Dana White disagrees. In the UFC President’s eyes, it’s far too soon for the featherweight to move up. Especially considering his bout against ‘Blessed’ is his first title defense.

“This is his first title defense, haha.” UFC President Dana White stated to TMZ Sports when asked about Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev. “This is his first title defense. Before we start talking about guys moving up to other weight classes, I love [when they clear out the division].”

He continued, “When you look at Max Holloway, when he moved up, he had wiped out the entire division. He was the best 145-pounder, blah blah blah. Then Volkanovski [did the same]. There’s plenty of challenges for him at 145 [pounds].”

What do you make of these comments from Dana White? Do you want to see Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev?