Makhachev Dampens Superfight Hopes: Topuria Unlikely for UFC White House Card

The superfight that fight fans have been waiting for won't happen this summer, at least not on the stage everyone imagined. Islam Makhachev, the UFC's welterweight champion, made clear in a recent interview that if he does fight on the planned White House card later this year, Ilia Topuria won't be across the octagon from him.

For months, the possibility of Makhachev and Topuria squaring off has circulated through the sport's rumor mill. The two men represent the UFC's brightest current stars—Makhachev on the strength of a 16-fight winning streak that stretches back to his second professional bout, Topuria as an undefeated fighter who has won nine times since joining the promotion in 2020. Their paths have mirrored each other in intriguing ways. Makhachev held the lightweight title, defending it four times before moving up to welterweight at UFC 322, where he defeated Jack Della Maddalena with a dominant showing. Topuria, meanwhile, took the featherweight crown by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298, then stopped Max Holloway in his only title defense before vacating the belt to chase lightweight gold himself. At UFC 317, he finished Charles Oliveira in the opening round to claim the vacant 155-pound title.

But the timing won't align for a White House showdown. Makhachev explained during an interview with Ushatayka that while he remains open to fighting around that window—whether at the White House itself or nearby in time—Topuria's schedule simply doesn't permit it. The lightweight champion already has opponents lined up, and the UFC has moved on from pursuing that particular matchup for now. "I think that fight definitely won't be at The White House, because he already has opponents lined up, and the UFC isn't interested in that fight right now," Makhachev said.

Topuria's immediate future appears set. The 29-year-old is expected to face interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje in a title unification bout when he returns to competition. That fight would represent the next logical step in his career, a chance to consolidate the lightweight division under one champion. For Makhachev, the welterweight picture remains more fluid. He has several potential opponents waiting for their first title shot: Ian Machado Garry and Michael Morales are among those in the conversation.

The White House card itself remains a marquee event on the UFC's calendar for 2026, a rare venture into the political sphere that carries symbolic weight beyond typical fight cards. Makhachev's willingness to participate speaks to the event's importance, even if the dream matchup won't materialize there. The superfight between these two elite fighters may still happen someday—the sport has a way of bringing the best together eventually—but not on the stage that seemed most fitting. For now, both men will pursue separate paths, defending their respective titles against different challengers, their eventual collision deferred to some uncertain future.