Dana White gets brutally honest about potential Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev super fight: "I don't like hypothetical"

UFC CEO Dana White recently addressed the highly sought-after matchup between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria with cold clarity. Topuria knocked out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 to capture the lightweight throne, but White isn’t ready to finalise a superfight with Makhachev just yet.

Makhachev is chasing welterweight gold against Jack Della Maddalena, and if he wins that belt, the Topuria clash becomes massive. But until that happens, according to the UFC CEO, it’s just another fantasy matchup with too many variables.

Speaking about his annoyance with the media’s obsession over hypotheticals during a recent appearance on the FULL SEND PODCAST, White said:

"Another massive fight would be Ilia vs. Islam... Well, the other thing is that Islam moves up, and obviously if Islam wins the title, you know, you immediately have a super fight with him and Ilia."

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He added:

"You have to see, it's one thing to sit around. It's what the media always tries to do, sit around and talk about these fights before they happen, or, you know, hypothetically speaking. I don't like hypothetical. These are options that we have if things play out that way, but you never know what's gonna happen."

Check out Dana White's comments below:

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UFC analyst believes Islam Makhachev could get knocked out against Ilia Topuria

UFC analyst Din Thomas believes Ilia Topuria is a force across three divisions. After knocking out Charles Oliveira to claim the lightweight belt, Topuria has set his sights on a potential welterweight title clash in the future.

Thomas believes Topuria's technique is the key to his finishing power. He believes that the power and technique translate well, way up to 170 pounds, even against Islam Makhachev.

Speaking in a recent conversation with Daniel Cormier on his YouTube channel, Thomas pointed to Makhachev's past struggles with a shorter fighter in Alexander Volkanovski. He said:

"I think he beats Islam. I always thought he would beat Islam. Here's why. Because Islam, I think Islam had struggled with the Volkanovski fight. The very first Volkanovski fight, he struggled with getting underneath Alexander Volkanovski. Islam struggled to get underneath him to be able to take him down. He's gonna have a hard time getting underneath Topuria. He's gonna have a hard time getting underneath Topuria to take him down. If you don't take him down, he's getting knocked out."

Check out Din Thomas' comments below (3:15):

About the author

Abhishek Ramadasan Nambiar is a journalist who covers MMA at Sportskeeda. As a long-time practitioner of various martial arts, seeing the fusion of different forms into a quest for the ultimate fighter felt both primal and profoundly technical. At Sportskeeda, Abhishek's primary goal is to offer a fresh and distinctive angle through his writing, aiming to provide readers with more than just the basics of MMA. Along with keeping them informed about the latest developments in the sport, he strives to offer valuable insights that enhance their understanding of MMA.

When not writing about MMA, Abhishek often spends time reviewing music or devouring Brian Evanson's and Blake Crouch's work. Sign up to receive news, regular updates, and exclusive coverage.

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Edited by Abhishek Nambiar