As per Álvaro Colmenero, the UFC has already planned out what is next for Islam Makhachev, Justin Gaethje, and Ilia Topuria.
Colmenero claims that Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje will meet in a title unification bout on June 14 to headline the UFC White House event.
Makhachev, on the other hand, who had shown interest in the White House card, will not be a part of it. As per the source, the pound-for-pound king will make the first defense of the 170-pound strap against a welterweight contender at a later event, and Ian Machado Garry could be next to challenge Makhachev.
Meanwhile, this past week, Islam Makhachev and Justin Gaethje’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, had made it clear that:
Justin_Gaethje is fighting next for the undisputed Lightweight title, and if Topuria doesn’t want then Justin will fight for the undisputed title against whoever is next”.
Abdelaziz also added that if Makhachev vs. Topuria does materialize, it will be the Russian champion who will do all the talking:
If Islam wants to give Topuria this a*s-whooping then he will be the one who will choose where and when, but Islam’s next fight will definitely be against a real welterweight.”
Ian Machado Garry drops a major hint that he is fighting Islam Makhachev next
Ian Machado Garry, the number two-ranked UFC welterweight contender, has made his case for a title shot after securing wins over Carlos Prates and Belal Muhammad in 2025.
During the UFC Qatar post-fight presser last year, “The Future” told his Georgian fans that if he fights Islam Makhachev next, he will travel to Georgia to work with the southpaw wrestlers:
I will come to Georgia because Georgia has phenomenal wrestling, phenomenal judo, phenomenal sambo, and when you are trying to prepare for someone like Islam Makhachev, I am gonna need that… I will call for your help… With my friends in Russia or my friends in Georgia. We’re going to stop the Russians from having their success. We’re going to stop the Dagestanis from having that success, and we’re going to shut him down, and we’re going to take his head clean off his shoulders.”
Check out Ian Machado Garry’s comments below (6:30):
Yesterday, the Irishman posted a photo from Heathrow Airport with Tbilisi on the departure board, giving fans a hint that he’s going to solve the Islam Makhachev puzzle soon.
Looking at the current landscape of the welterweight and the lightweight divisions, it feels as if fans won’t get to see a superfight between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria right away.
By law, Justin Gaethje, the interim champion, will face reigning UFC lightweight champion “El Matador” next.
Meanwhile, Makhachev must solidify his reign at 170 pounds, the UFC’s hottest division right now, and has a lot of work left.
