After Belal Muhammad was dethroned by Jack Della Maddalena, Dagestani star Islam Makhachev had no hesitation moving up a weight class. In pursuit of a second belt, Makhachev vacated his lightweight title. Meanwhile, Spain’s Ilia Topuria — also chasing double-champ status — will now get his shot at lightweight gold this summer.

Islam Makhachev's manager recently came to his client's aid by using his mentor and friend Khabib Nurmagomedov as an example to dismiss Ilia Topuria's latest ducking claims.

Dan Hardy backs UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena against Islam Makhachev. Della Maddalena (18-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) impressed Hardy in his title-winning performance against Belal Muhammad (24-4 MMA,

Ilia Topuria makes a surprise cameo in the historic NFL Spain trailer, blending UFC star power with American football hype.

Many MMA fanatics are currently awaiting news from UFC CEO Dana White regarding Ilia Topuria’s next fight and the future of the promotion’s lightweight division. White has stated that he will soon share updates regarding Topuria and the UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev,