The champion, however, may have other plans with Makhachev’s manager Ali Abdelaziz recently suggesting a potential clash with Justin Gaethje next time out.

There are other names that are also still in the mix with the great Khabib Nurmagomedov stating that he believes Arman Tsarukyan is a tougher fight for the champ.

Not to mention the fact that Makhachev has made it clear that he wants the opportunity to move up and fight for the welterweight title which is set to be defended next month at UFC 315.

Ilia Topuria says Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn’t want him to fight Islam Makhachev because he’s a threat

Following Khabib Nurmagomedov’s recent comments on the lightweight title picture, Ilia Topuria responded to what the former champion had to say.

‘The Eagle’ stated in an interview with Adam Zubayraev that he’s not onboard with Topuria being the next challenger because he’s not proven himself at lightweight by beating a top contender, unlike Arman Tsarukyan.

There’s also the fact that Islam Makhachev has already defended his title against Alexander Volkanovski twice whilst whilst ‘The Great’ was the featherweight champion.

Makhachev was previously set to face the number one contender Tsarukyan in a rematch at UFC 311 in January but when the challenger withdrew due to an injury, he seemingly fell down the pecking order despite many believing that he is the best in the division other than the titleholder.

Topuria responded via social media where he claimed that Nurmagomedov is putting out this narrative because he knows that the undefeated star is the toughest opponent out there for the 155-pound champion.

“Khabib knows I’m the one to take the belt from Islam. Only reason he doesn’t want Islam to fight me”

Ilia Topuria is prepared to wait for his title shot rather than risking it against a top contender

It’s clear that the major hurdle in making this fight happen is that Islam Makhachev and his team have reservations about fighting another featherweight champion who is moving up.

However, after what he accomplished at 145-pounds, Ilia Topuria seems to be under the impression that a lightweight title shot would be waiting for him if he vacated his title to move up.

A win over someone like Charles Oliveira or Arman Tsarukyan would certainly seal the deal but the latest update from Topuria is that he’s prepared to wait.

He reportedly told TASS that whilst he would prefer to return sooner rather than later, he’s not in a rush to get what he wants even if it looks like neither side will budge.

“I want to fight in the summer. But if that doesn’t work out, I’m ready for a title fight in the fall. We’re not considering other options.”

Both of the big men are preparing for fights of their own; on April 26 at KSW 105 Gliwice, Poland Hall will take on fellow strongman Mariusz Pudzianowski in his full MMA debut. Aspinall is still awaiting the date for his fight with Jon Jones to unify the UFC heavyweight division, but is expected out this year.

Eddie Hall admits Tom Aspinall made him ‘feel like a girl’ in sparring

Ahead of his full debut in the cage on April 26, Eddie Hall has spent time with UFC champion Tom Aspinall. The British duo have collaborated before, and while the strongman is opting to train with a bespoke team in Stoke, the pair’s camps are in contact.

In an exclusive chat with Bloody Elbow ahead of the fight, Hall explained: “Look, man, I’m not Jon Jones, but I can honestly, hand on heart say I’ve never had such a humbling experience as to getting in the ring with Tom Aspinall and sparring.

“Doing the grappling, because you just feel like a little girl. Even a man my size, he just uses your strengths against you and his hands are so fast. His footwork is just incredible. You just feel like a f—ing f—y to go in the ring and doing business with Tom Aspinall.

“And that’s me, that’s like a ‘World’s Strongest Man’ saying that. It’s a very humbling experience going in the ring with Tom.”

Eddie Hall backs Aspinall to dethrone Jon Jones

The big fight that the UFC fandom wants to see is the unification at heavyweight between Aspinall and Jones. They have been playing cat and mouse for the past few years, but it seems that Dana White may be on the cusp of finally making it happen.

Fans have theorized that the American is ‘ducking’ his British counterpart, particularly given his relentless pursuit of other fights. Last November he inexplicably faced Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 and proceeded to insist that then-light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira was a bigger draw.

“I believe so,” Hall replied when asked if Aspinall will beat Jones. “Jon Jones is obviously the champ and he’s formidable. But there’s a reason this fight has been ducked, in my opinion. If Jon Jones thought he could beat him, he’d f—ing fight him right now, wouldn’t he?

Nicholson and Darion Abbey co-headlined XFC 52 in a highly-anticipated heavyweight matchup on the card. The fight marked Nicholson’s MMA return after a first-round knockout defeat to Frank Tate at Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA in November.

While Nicholson possesses one-punch knockout power, as he’s showcased in stints in the PFL and UFC, the fight didn’t go as planned against Abbey. In the immediate aftermath, one fan learned the hard way not to mess with a heavyweight fighter, especially after they fall short inside the cage.

Alex Nicholson responds to fake handshake, insults by punching fan after KO

Abbey needed mere seconds to outpace and outpressure Nicholson against the cage. Just over a minute into the fight, Abbey swarmed Nicholson with punches en route to the first-round TKO victory.

It was Abbey’s third consecutive win after a loss to former Bellator standout Tim Johnson last April. Meanwhile, as Nicholson left the cage during Abbey’s post-fight interview, he was greeted by a fan with a congratulatory headshake attempt, but it didn’t play out as planned.

Nicholson initially shook the fan’s hand in an innocuous way as he attempted to leave the arena. But as Nicholson walked away, the fan can be heard berating the former UFC fighter, luring him back into a heated interaction.

Whatever the fan said, Nicholson didn’t react well, as he charged at him and threw several punches before security personnel intervened. You can check out the full incident below, courtesy of Fight Bananas.

As Alex Nicholson made his way to the dressing room after a tough loss, one fan couldn’t help but mouth off after a fake handshake, calling him a ‘p_ _ _ _’ and calling him a quitter.
This is the aftermath … pic.twitter.com/driQxhNTQm

— Fight Bananas (@FightBananas) April 15, 2025

UFC’s Lerone Murphy charged at a mocking fan after recent main event win

As of this writing, Nicholson hasn’t spoken publicly about the incident, and it’s uncertain if charges will be filed by the fan in question. Nicholson’s contract status with XFC is also unclear.

Nicholson went 1-3 in the UFC Octagon, earning a knockout against veteran Devin Clark in July 2016. After back-to-back losses to Sam Alvey and Jack Hermansson, the UFC parted ways with Nicholson.

Nicholson isn’t the only former or current UFC standout to get into it with trolling fans after their fights. Rising featherweight contender Lerone Murphy got into it with a fan after a recent win over Josh Emmett, but luckily, security prevented Murphy from escalating the incident.

At a recent Bare Knuckle FC event in Dubai, one of Conor McGregor’s security team members punched a fan who attempted to swing at the UFC superstar. In an unrelated incident, McGregor spat in a pro-Khabib Nurmagomedov fan’s face during an altercation at a casino.

For now, Makhachev remains the man to beat in the UFC lightweight division amidst his run as the UFC’s pound-for-pound king. After finishing Renato Moicano in the UFC 311 main event, many have debated who will present the biggest obstacle to Makhachev’s title reign.

Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev’s longtime friend and mentor, believes there are several intriguing challenges for the lightweight champ’s next test.

Khabib Nurmagomedov pinpoints Islam Makhachev’s potential toughest test

One such test proposed is former UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, who vacated the 145 lb title for a full-time transition to lightweight. Paddy Pimblett also made a strong case for a title shot after entering the Top 10 following his win over Michael Chandler last Saturday.

But neither Pimblett nor Topuria present the level of difficulty that one of Makhachev’s former foes presents, according to Nurmagomedov.

During a recent interview with Adam Zubayraev, Nurmagomedov explained why he believes Arman Tsarukyan is a tougher challenge than Topuria for Makhachev’s next fight.

“My personal opinion — not necessarily [more] dangerous, let’s say more competitive — I think it’s [Arman] Tsarukyan,” Nurmagomedov said of Makhachev’s next potential fight. “I think Arman is a more serious fighter than Topuria. Topuria is a good fighter at 145 but we haven’t seen him at 155. I believe Arman is more competitive for Islam than Topuria.

“I don’t know what kind of agreements Topuria and the UFC had, but from Islam’s side, he already gave two title shots to 145 champions,” Nurmagomedov continued. “Both times Islam won. Now a third time — OK, let’s imagine Topuria moves up and gets a title shot right away, Islam beats him, then Topuria fights again, he loses again. So basically [a] nobody at 155.

“Islam beat a guy who was a nobody at 155. Because of that, in terms of legacy for Islam, for his resume, I understand Islam’s risks, too. That’s why Islam says let him fight, let him become a real contender.” (h/t MMA Fighting)

Makhachev outpointed Tsarukyan by unanimous decision in the latter’s UFC debut in 2019. The two lightweights were supposed to rematch at UFC 311, before Tsarukyan withdrew on hours’ notice due to a back injury.

Islam Makhachev’s coach made a surprising pick for his next opponent

Makhachev’s longtime coach Javier Mendez disagrees with Nurmagomedov’s position. In a recent interview, Mendez made the case for Pimblett to get the next lightweight title shot after his performance at UFC 314.

Dustin Poirier tabbed another matchup for Pimblett, opining that Pimblett should face his former rival Dan Hooker for a potential No. 1 contender matchup. Hooker was supposed to fight at UFC 313 against Justin Gaethje before withdrawing due to injury.

Gaethje is also in the mix after defeating Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313, and is one of the few top contenders who hasn’t faced Makhachev during his career. Gaethje is 0-2 in lineal UFC title fights, including a loss in Nurmagomedov’s UFC finale at UFC 254.

Featherweights Yair Rodriguez and Jean Silva earned big wins on the UFC 314 main card last Saturday in Miami. Rodriguez, a former interim titleholder, is looking to earn a potential rematch with Volkanovski after losing in their title unification bout at UFC 290.

Silva is an emerging UFC star after an unbeaten five-fight run in the promotion. The former Dana White’s Contender Series standout pleaded with the matchmakers to grant him the next title shot over Rodriguez and Evloev.

Movsar Evloev reacts to Yair Rodriguez potentially skipping the line after UFC 314

While Silva’s title shot request isn’t likely to be granted without a few more victories, Rodriguez’s win over Patricio ‘Pitbull’ added another potential option for Volkanovski’s next fight. But Volkanovski promised in the lead-up to UFC 314 to grant Evloev the next title shot if he became champion.

Volkanovski has since pivoted on that stance in a recent interview with MMA Today, admitting that the UFC 314 results complicate the title shot debate. Rodriguez called dibs on the next title shot in his post-fight media availability after snapping a two-fight skid.

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Evloev responded to Rodriguez’s desired title shot after UFC 314.

“Yair, if you want to fight for the title, you have to beat me first, and then you deserve it,” Evloev said to Rodriguez.

“I think it was the best fight for Yair Rodriguez in forever, and with ‘Pitbull,’ he’s a dangerous opponent, but I don’t think that’s enough to fight for the title. Because he had his chance, and he just skipped it.”

Evloev defeated former UFC champion Aljamain Sterling in his most recent outing at UFC 310 in December. He was briefly linked to a potential clash with Aaron Pico before that rumor was squashed by Evloev and his team.

Yair Rodriguez vs. Diego Lopes might be the fight to make after UFC 314

As for Rodriguez, he could potentially face UFC 314 headliner Diego Lopes in a No. 1 contender fight later this year. Rodriguez and Lopes got into it at the UFC 314 pre-fight press conference, in a surprising moment between the two featherweights.

Before falling to Volkanovski at UFC 314, Lopes earned recent wins over Brian Ortega and Dan Ige. After defeating one of Rodriguez’s teammates earlier in his career, tensions between Lopes and Rodriguez have reached new heights.

Evloev and Rodriguez both make intriguing cases for the next featherweight title shot, and time will tell who will get the next crack at Volkanovski.

Nunes retired from MMA after defeating Irene Aldana in her final women’s bantamweight title defense at UFC 289. But since her retirement fight, Nunes has repeatedly teased a comeback, potentially for a trilogy matchup with Pena.

But if Harrison dethrones Pena, tensions between Nunes and Harrison will move to the forefront after their past beef.

Amanda Nunes was ‘out of shape’ during past spars with Kayla Harrison

Nunes and Harrison trained together earlier in their combat sports careers at ATT, with Nunes messily leaving the gym and hinting at Harrison being the main reason behind the change. Before Harrison signed with the UFC last year, she long teased a potential matchup with Nunes, despite the latter not entertaining as much in the public.

During a recent interview with UFC Brasil, Nunes gave insight into training with Harrison at ATT before her departure.

“We didn’t have a partnership in the gym,” Nunes said. “There was no such thing, but we did some training here and there. I was out of shape, I was always traveling, coming back and doing some training. It wasn’t like we were always training [together] or I was in shape and training with Kayla. Never like that.

“It was always something random, but that’s it. I’m ready for anyone. I mean it.” (h/t MMA Fighting)

After Pena reclaimed the bantamweight throne at UFC 307, she called out Nunes for a trilogy, irking Harrison, who was backstage just minutes after her win. But Nunes is more likely to come back for a clash with Harrison versus a third fight with Pena.

Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison result could determine Amanda Nunes’s comeback plan

First things first for Pena and Harrison as they prepare to fight in the co-main event of UFC 316. After going 2-0 in her UFC tenure, Harrison is looking to cap off her MMA career with a UFC championship victory.

Pena defeated Raquel Pennington at UFC 307 in her first fight since her back-to-back clashes with Nunes. She pulled off the upset over Nunes at UFC 269 before falling in their rematch at UFC 277.

The women’s bantamweight division might get a much-needed boost if Nunes returns to the Octagon by year’s end. UFC 316 could finalize whether or not the UFC Hall of Fame inductee makes a comeback.

Makhachev is expected to return to the Octagon sometime this summer, potentially for the UFC’s International Fight Week card in June. The UFC’s pound-for-pound king has also teased a future move up to either welterweight or middleweight, depending on the result of the upcoming welterweight headliner between teammate Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena.

A superfight with Topuria is at the top of the UFC’s fans’ wish list for Makhachev’s next title defense. After Arman Tsarukyan withdrew from UFC 311 on hours’ notice, he’ll likely have to win at least one fight before returning to the lightweight title shot conversation.

Coach Javier Mendez makes surprising pick for Islam Makhachev’s next fight

Makhachev has dismantled several UFC fan favorites during his lightweight title reign, including wins over Dustin Poirier and two-time UFC featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski. To add to his all-time great legacy, Makhachev could potentially face another big name during his lightweight title reign before he weighs a potential weight class move.

Makhachev’s longtime coach has an intriguing name in mind for the lightweight champion’s next title defense.

In a recent episode of the Javier & Mo Show, Makhachev’s longtime coach Javier Mendez tabbed Paddy Pimblett for the lightweight champion’s next opponent.

“Paddy’s ready to face anybody, what he’s done already, his credentials, his winning record in the UFC and his hype and what he can do and how he can motivate people, if [the UFC] gives him the next title shot, he deserves it,” Mendez said of Pimblett. “So whoever they give it to, they give, so let’s see who they give it to…

“Who gets into the arena with him next? I don’t know. But is [Paddy] worthy? Yes. He’s very interesting and he’s got the whole of England behind him. Most of America will be behind him. He has a lot of fans, and I’m a fan. I wasn’t a big fan at the beginning, I was not, when he fought Jared Gordon…but I’ve become a huge fan.”

Pimblett earned the biggest win of his MMA career last weekend at UFC 314, finishing Michael Chandler inside three rounds and making a strong case for a No. 1 contender fight. Pimblett called out Tsarukyan, Gaethje, Poirier, and Charles Oliveira in his post-fight interview, dismissing a potential clash with Topuria for his next Octagon appearance.

Makhachev’s team is hesitant to grant Topuria an immediate title shot after moving up from featherweight. But the UFC matchmakers could potentially move in that direction, despite Makhachev’s apprehensiveness towards a showdown with Topuria.

Dustin Poirier suggested an alternative for Paddy Pimblett’s next fight

Poirier, in a recent interview with MMA Junkie, suggested Pimblett face former opponent Dan Hooker for his next lightweight test. Hooker was supposed to face Gaethje in a No. 1 contender fight at UFC 313 before withdrawing due to injury.

Poirier is rumored to face BMF titleholder Max Holloway for his UFC retirement fight later this year, and an announcement regarding his last hurrah could be made in the coming weeks. Poirier hasn’t fought since losing to Makhachev at UFC 302 last June.

As for Pimblett, he remains unbeaten in his UFC career with wins over Jared Gordon, King Green, and Chandler. The UK star is quickly approaching the UFC lightweight title mix.

Despite that, the UFC shockingly announced that Sean Strickland would rematch ‘Stillknocks’ for the title at UFC 312. Du Plessis went on to successfully beat Strickland again, leaving no doubt that Chimaev is next.

‘Borz’ was then given a bigger boost when Dana White revealed that there aren’t any issues keeping Chimaev from fighting in the United States, which was reportedly an issue before.

Darren Till drops hint on Chimaev’s next fight

With the Chechen hopeful of fighting for the title soon, he sent UFC fans wild earlier this week when he hinted at ‘good news’ regarding his career, hinting that his clash against Du Plessis has been booked.

UFC boss, White, teased following UFC 314 on Saturday that Chimaev could fight Du Plessis at International Fight Week’s UFC 317 at the end of June.

And with that, Chimaev’s longtime teammate and friend, Darren Till, has dropped an even bigger hint regarding the 30-year-old’s next fight.

‘The Gorilla’ Till could be a big help in Chimaev’s training camp, considering he fought Du Plessis in 2022 in his final fight in the UFC. Despite being finished by ‘Stillknocks’ Till had several moments of success in the fight.

“Belt time,” Till said in a post on his Instagram story.

“Back to (United Arab Emirates) after the fight to work, son. Khamzat Chimaev, let’s get that belt,” he continued.

Chimaev historically used to train at Allstars Gym in Sweden, however, he has recently linked back up with his old wrestling coach in Russia, where he now trains.

Du Plessis vs Chimaev is one of the most desired fights of 2025

Along with Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall, Du Plessis vs Chimaev is one of the most desired fights of 2025 as fans continue to clamor for it.

UFC commentator Jon Anik listed it as one of the three fights he hopes the promotion makes before the end of the year.

Fans may not have to wait much longer, and with the UFC’s deal with ESPN now up, the promotion may announce the International Fight Week headliner along with their announcement regarding a new broadcast deal.

And with his win, Paddy Pimblett is now firmly in the title conversation at lightweight, potentially having been given a boost by Islam Makhachev, who said he would fight the Brit whenever he made it into the top 10.

‘The Baddy’ is now ranked inside the top eight of the lightweight division following the UFC rankings update on Monday, setting him up for a huge next outing.

Dustin Poirier reacts to Pimblett’s win over Chandler at UFC 314

The 155lb division is in somewhat of a transitional period towards the top, with older contenders still occupying spots in the top five.

One of them is former interim champion Dustin Poirier, who has, of course, shared the cage with Michael Chandler previously.

‘The Diamond’ shared his thoughts on Pimblett’s performance, admitting that he can no longer count the 30-year-old out, considering his rise up the ranks.

“Dude, he’s legit. How can I deny him anymore? Chandler’s a tough guy. I didn’t think Chandler looked great. I thought he had a good first round, got Paddy down and wrist rode him against the fence, he looked flat after that,” Poirier told MMAJunkie.

“He looked heavy on his feet, he looked exhausted… Maybe it’s his time now, but only he knows that. I definitely thought Chandler didn’t look great, but not taking away from Paddy’s performance.

“Paddy went out there and dropped the first round, came back confident, hit Chandler with big shots, I mean, took him down, who would’ve had that on their bingo card? Paddy is the real deal… You have to take him for real now… His next fight has to be a really big one,” Poirier continued.

Pimblett called out several lightweight contenders for his next fight, with his first pick being a title eliminator fight against Charles Oliveira, which seemingly makes a lot of sense.

Despite that, Poirier has suggested that Pimblett’s next fight come against number six ranked lightweight, Dan Hooker.

“For me as a fan, put him in there with Dan Hooker. That would be an incredible fight. The build-up would be fun. Dan’s gonna stand and trade with him, Dan has good takedown defense, good on the ground, that’s the fight, I think,” Poirier continued.

Dustin Poirier teases his own UFC comeback

‘The Diamond’ didn’t add himself into the conversation as potential next opponents for the Brit as he revealed that he already has his next fight booked and that it will be announced soon.

Poirier’s next fight is being labeled as his retirement fight after the former title challenger said he has one fight left in him.

“Behind the scenes, I’ve got stuff so I can’t entertain (a fight against Paddy)… In the next, I think, two weeks, you’ll know,” Poirier revealed.

Rumors have continuously swirled that Poirier’s retirement fight will come against Max Holloway as a BMF title fight and a rematch of their 2019 interim title fight.

The claim is backed by a statement McGregor made earlier this year where he admitted he turned down an offer to fight on Alcatraz. KSI was due to face his teammate Dillon Danis in March, but pulled out due to an alleged illness.

Conor McGregor reportedly turned down ‘done deal’ KSI fight

In a new episode of Misfits News, promoter Mams Taylor spoke out about a variety of big issues within the crossover boxing world. One topic that came up was the subject of KSI’s return to the ring, where he mentioned the possibility of a Conor McGregor fight that didn’t materialise.

“The Conor McGregor one, we thought it was a done deal and we were told it was a done deal,” Taylor told hosts Ben Davis and Biel. He noted that it was supposed to be in Alcatraz and that the deal was done through Turki Alalshikh.

“I don’t know exactly because I wasn’t part of the negotiations with Conor,” he replied when asked why it fell through. “But I think Conor made a statement recently about that and referenced it subtly so go back to that.

“He wants to be a politician and who knows? I think that’s a very exciting fight, I think it’s a wonderful fight, it would be massive. That got KSI more excited than I’ve ever seen him and I’ve seen him go through ups, downs, all kinds of crazy stuff we’ve been through together.

“The excitement level when that was going to happen was high, he was like a little kid and it was so nice to see. I said to him that day when we spoke ‘even though everyone is saying it’s a done deal, just dial it back because it’s Conor McGregor, we don’t know, this is a new situation for us, let’s wait and see’.

“His Excellency is one person who can make that fight happen and hopefully he will. I don’t think there’s many bigger fights than that on the planet in terms of viewership, pay-per-views, however you want to do it, it’s just a massive, massive mega-fight.”

Conor McGregor claimed he refused comeback fight in Alcatraz

The statement that Taylor is referring to came at a BKFC press conference last month when McGregor opened up about the potential of a fighting comeback. He is currently focused on his campaign to be President of Ireland, and noted that he turned down a fight offer for Alcatraz.

“There was an opportunity or a deal, we’ll say, to fight in Alcatraz only recent,” McGregor explained. “There’s an event going on in Alcatraz in, I believe, June. They came to me and it wasn’t my worth.

“As a fighter we’ve got to know our worth. I hold every pay-per-view record in the book, I hold every gate record in the book and my comeback will be slated as the greatest or the biggest, most anticipated comeback of all time.

“So it has to be right. Right now, Ireland is in my thoughts and that’s where I am, but it will happen, I am sure and it’s always great to be here at BKFC.”