That means stepping into the lightweight division, where Islam Makhachev reigns as the undisputed champion. As the debate over Ilia’s next ... step into the octagon together, it promises to ...

Ilia Topuria wants Islam Makhachev’s UFC title, and he thinks the lightweight champion’s team is on the run. In a recent interview, Makhachev’s close friend and mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov ...

You get to fight the winner of Ilia and Islam. But we put Ilia and Islam together, if Islam wins it’s not going to diminish him in anyway obviously on a win but if Ilia wins there’s so much ...

Islam Makhachev defending his lightweight title against Ilia Topuria would be a huge fight ... king’s next move will be although a recent photo of the UFC’s Hunter Campbell and Khabib ...

That's what they're all waiting on this weekend before anything gets announced with Islam or Ilia or any of that. And then we'll probably see Charles and Topuria fighting for the lightweight belt.

Islam would have stayed and fought Ilia for the 155 lb championship at International Fight Week, in what would have been an attempt to rack up an unprecedented fifth title defense in the division.

Perhaps the biggest fight the UFC can put together this year, aside from the Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall bout, is the Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria fight for the UFC lightweight title.

When featherweight champion Ilia Topuria decided to vacate the championship and move up to the lightweight division, a matchup against lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev became a possibility.

Ilia Topuria has lightweight gold in his crosshairs. After the announcement, Topuria's next step felt obvious: An immediate title shot against the reigning 155-pound champion Islam Makhachev.