“I’m preparing something you’ll never see coming for 2025. Yes, fun things are coming.” Dana White doesn’t say things like this lightly. When the UFC boss teases a major announcement, fans scramble to decode every possibility. Could it be Francis Ngannou returning to the UFC? Business is business, after all, and Dana has shown he can work with people he’s clashed with. Maybe Conor McGregor is finally coming back to the Octagon? But wait, Dana already stated that ‘The Notorious’ will return in the latter half of 2025. Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall? That’s public knowledge. So, what is this fight no one will see coming?
Enter Rassoul Chamsoudinov. A name not widely recognized, but if you’ve been following Khamzat Chimaev closely, you might have heard of him. He’s a talent manager, often seen alongside ‘Borz’, and recently, during a livestream, he casually dropped what he claimed to be the UFC’s biggest news of the year.
“We’ve signed already, so we need to set the dates. (Ilia) Topuria, (Islam) Makhachev, the team? Makhachev and Topuria will fight the same night as Khamzat Chimaev, like that in June. Get ready. Both title fights will happen on the same night. It will be UFC’s biggest event of the year. Khamzat vs. the champ, (Dricus) Du Plessis or whatever his name is. I don’t even like his name. It’s not official, but I’m telling you, it’ll be announced soon, don’t worry.”
BIG NEWS
Rassoul Chamsoudinov says via his Live Stream Ilia Topuria vs Islam Makachev is Happening The Same Night as Khamzat Chimaev vs DDP in June
: LaCultureMMA pic.twitter.com/v7FAx1KzDk
— Kevin (@realkevink) March 14, 2025
If true, this would be absolutely massive. A two-title-fight International Fight Week event in June, with ‘Borz’ fighting for gold and Ilia Topuria challenging Islam Makhachev for the lightweight strap? It sounds too good to be true. And as you can imagine, the internet is already split on whether to believe it.
“Too much of risk” — Fans are picking apart the Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev matchup
It didn’t take long for fight fans to voice their doubts. One user dismissed Chamsoudinov entirely, saying, “Bro, this guy is not reliable.” Another pointed out the logistical nightmare, “No way the UFC does that shit. That’s two mega separate PPVs.” Fair point. When was the last time the UFC put two blockbuster title fights on the same card when they could easily milk them for double the pay-per-view revenue?
Then there’s the timing. “Do you truly believe that Dana would wait to announce Islam vs. Ilia for so long after Ilia has already vacated? And like I said, just recently he said in a press conference that Ilia isn’t getting an immediate shot. Only people in Spain and Georgia care about him.” Harsh? Maybe. But, indeed, Ilia Topuria’s star power isn’t quite at the level of the Irishman just yet.
And let’s talk about Arman Tsarukyan. Another fan pointed out, “Ilia will do everything to avoid Arman. Too much of a risk.” The #1 contender has been clawing for a title shot for a while now and has a strong claim to fight the Dagestani king. Though the Georgian has only fought once at 155 in the UFC, he secured a KO win over Jai Herbert in 2022 before returning to featherweight. Meanwhile, Tsarukyan was previously set for a title opportunity but had to withdraw at the last minute. However, if the UFC were to leapfrog Ilia over Arman, there’d be serious backlash, at least from a few.
Of course, not everyone is calling BS. Some fans are already feeling the hype, calling it an “absolute super card” and predicting that “International Fight Week is gonna go crazy!” They’re not wrong, if this actually happens, it could be one of the most stacked events in UFC history.
But our UFC boss Dana White is the ultimate showman. He loves to dangle big promises, keep fans guessing, and then deliver something unexpected. Maybe this rumored card is real, or maybe it’s just another red herring in the never-ending game of fight promotion. Either way, all eyes are on what the UFC has in store for June. So, what do you think? Is this event legit or just another case of fight fans getting their hopes up for nothing?
The post Here’s Why UFC Fans Doubt Ilia Topuria & Islam Makhachev Will Fight on Chimaev, Du Plessis Rumored IFW Card appeared first on EssentiallySports.