If there’s one thing the MMA community excels at, it’s impatience. We don’t just anticipate fights—we obsess over what comes next before the gloves have even hit the canvas. With UFC 314 already starting to make waves, speculation is running wild. While a handful of fights are locked in, one question looms large: What’s the main event? One name keeps dominating the conversation—Islam Makhachev.
And if there’s one person who loves keeping us on our toes, it’s Dana White. The UFC boss has been playing it a little too cryptic lately, dropping hints that something big is brewing for the 155lbs god-king. In an interview with The Mac Life, the head honcho fueled speculation by seemingly giving the Dagestani champ the “green light” to move up to 170lbs. “Dana White seems to give the green light to Islam Makhachev to move to the semi-middle division,” reported RedFuryMMA, a Russian media outlet.
With the rumors swirling, Makhachev’s own confidence only adds fuel to the fire. After that near-perfect win over Renato Moicano at UFC 311, the Dagestani juggernaut has got the swagger to match his words, “I’ve beaten almost everybody.” So now, naturally, the question everyone’s asking is, what’s next for the 155-pound champ? Could UFC 314 be the stage where the reigning champ goes for something even bigger?
But before you get too excited, another media outlet called MMA Surface isn’t buying it. Their report says Makhachev isn’t moving up just yet to either welterweight or middleweight, but the real heat? Ilia Topuria might be eyeing Makhachev’s belt at 155 lbs. Yeah, you read that right. But does anyone really see this happening?
Makhachev’s already fought featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski twice, so why bother with a guy coming up from 145lbs? Makhachev’s not exactly thrilled about the idea, calling it “not making sense” since he’d walk away with just one belt. But hey, don’t write it off just yet.
So what’s the deal with this Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev situation?
Well, it turns out the Dagestani champ’s not totally against it, but only under the right circumstances. He’s looking for a challenge with some real stakes. If he’s going to risk his belt, it needs to make sense, or else it’s just not worth it. “I don’t see a lot of work to do in my division,” he’s said before, and after dominating the top names at lightweight, it’s tough to argue. Makhachev’s not just in it for a fight, he wants something that’ll push him to new heights. But with Topuria rising, maybe the time’s right to see if Makhachev will bite.
And then there’s Bo Nickal, who’s already calling the shots. While we’re all here speculating, Nickal’s acting like he’s got the inside scoop. “Ilia and Volk, April, 314? I think it’s locked in,” he says, giving us a glimpse of what’s going down. But that’s not all, Nickal’s also looking for a spot on that card. “It’s official. I know for a fact,” Nickal said on his Nickals and Dimes podcast. But funnily, Nickal’s not just talking about the card, he’s hinting at his place on it. “I might fight on that card,” he teased. With his perfect 7-0 record, don’t be surprised if we see him throw down in Miami too.
So, what do you think? Is the UFC boss cooking up a masterstroke with Islam Makhachev, or is he about to pull a fast one and shake up the UFC again? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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