"That's just a paperwork issue"- UFC insider argues Islam Makhachev needs Ilia Topuria more than a return to lightweight

Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev sit at the center of a matchup that has excited MMA fans for a while now. The push for this fight has grown steadily because both men, at this stage of their careers, are moving toward a collision that can change the landscape of multiple divisions.

Chael Sonnen believes Makhachev gains more by fighting Topuria at welterweight than by reclaiming a belt he already held for years. Topuria, meanwhile, has used his recent momentum to needle the Dagestani fighter publicly and build pressure around a potential superfight.

Speaking about the matchup in a recent episode of ESPN MMA's Good Guy/ Bad Guy, Sonnen said:

"Right now, if you were to do it, Ilia and Islam is the fight. Now the question only becomes, do you fight for Ilia’s belt or do you fight for Islam’s. And my belief is you fight for Islam’s to give Ilia the opportunity for triple champ status. I think that makes that fight bigger."

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He added:

"I think that Islam might be looking at that the wrong way. He wants to come back to 55. It’s like no Islam, all that you need is the fight. Your chances will strengthen if you can add that piece to the story. We will see actual champ-champ because being a champ here and then a two-time champ is not champ-champ. It is simultaneous, and sometimes that’s just a paperwork issue. I don’t know that Islam needs to be chasing both belts at the same time because of what he did at 155. There is a lot of safety in fighting at a weight class where you are dominating."

Check out Chael Sonnen's comments below (9:20):

The next step on how the potential matchup plays out depends on UFC 322. Makhachev faces Jack Della Maddalena in a high-risk welterweight title fight that can open the door to something historic.

A win gives him two-division status and lifts the conversation with Topuria into a true champion versus champion scenario. Sonnen also argued that this path offers stakes that cannot be matched at 155 and gives Makhachev a chance to move beyond comparisons to Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Javier Mendez points to Ilia Topuria as the next potential fight for Islam Makhachev

Javier Mendez sees a clear path ahead for Islam Makhachev if he leaves UFC 322 with the welterweight title. Makhachev meets Jack Della Maddalena on Nov. 15 in a bid to secure two-division status.

If the belt changes hands, he predicts that a showdown with Topuria could headline a major UFC event in 2026 and deliver the kind of moment the promotion values. Speaking in a recent interview with Submission Radio, Mendez said:

“If you’re asking me what the fans are going to want to see, I’m going to have to go with Topuria. If we manage to get the win like we’re expecting and wanting to, I would think that Dana [White] is all about creating the most, biggest buzz, and I think the biggest buzz is Topuria, if he goes up in weight. If that’s what happens."