Ilia Topuria pitches new UFC belt for Islam Makhachev clash despite preferring welterweight move

Unifying the lightweight belts is the obvious next step for him but he’s made it very clear that his top target is the champion at the weight class above.

Makhachev has ruled out fighting Topuria in June but ‘El Matador’ has got a suggestion involving the two titleholders meeting in the middle.

Does a fight between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria need to happen? 👀

Let us know in the comments how you would see this super-fight playing out…

Ilia Topuria suggests that he could fight Islam Makhachev for a new pound-for-pound belt

Ilia Topuria recently provided two different options for where a potential fight with Islam Makhachev could take place.

‘El Matador’ said during an appearance on Adin Ross’ stream that welterweight would be his preference so that he can try to become the UFC’s first three-division champion.

However, Topuria also has another suggestion, one that would see both men leave their current divisions in order to fight for a new title.

“But also, it would be a great scenario to me to fight between 155 and 170 and to create a new belt,” he said in a clip reposted by Championship Rounds. “Why not call it pound-for-pound? Because he’s the number one, I’m the number two right now. For me, myself, I’m the number one, but yeah. You put two of the best guys in the world, you put the pound-for-pound belt in the middle, whoever wins is the best.”

Makhachev reclaimed the top spot on the pound-for-pound list when he defeated Jack Della Maddalena to win the welterweight title in November.

Both men may have just missed each other when they both moved weight classes but the idea of seeing the two current best fighters in the sport meet in the Octagon still remains one of the biggest fights possible.

Joe Rogan recently called the amount of UFC champions ‘very limiting’

The reaction to the BMF title, which will be defended when Max Holloway faces Charles Oliveira next month, being created in 2019 wasn’t all positive from UFC fans.

The idea of making a pound-for-pound belt that would seemingly never be defended again following Ilia Topuria facing Islam Makhachev doesn’t sound like something that would receive a lot of support.

However, the prospect of seeing the lightweight and welterweight champions leave their divisions could lean into an idea that Joe Rogan has spoken about for a long time.

On his latest episode of the JRE MMA Show, the long-time UFC commentator spoke again about how the promotion should implement more weight classes.

“Give people more options,” Rogan said. “This idea of only having eight champions I think, in MMA, is very, very limiting.”