Islam Makhachev is looking forward to the lightweight title fight at UFC White House.
Next month, Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje battle to unify their lightweight titles in the June 14 main event. “El Matador” is heavily favored against the much older Gaethje, coming in as nearly an 8-1 betting favorite, and while the welterweight champion ultimately agrees Topuria will win, he believes the bout is closer than many think.
“The main event at the White House, I think—of course, I’m not counting Gaethje out,” Makhachev said on UFC Eurasia (h/t Home of Fight). “He’s an old warhorse with a lot of experience. But Topuria is younger.
“It will be a great fight for the fans. I believe this fight definitely won’t go the distance, and I’m leaning towards Topuria winning.”
If Topuria wins, that could finally set up the long-sought-after matchup between Makhachev and Topuria. Fans have been calling for that fight for over a year, and there were reports that the bout was under consideration for UFC White House, with both Topuria’s and Makhachev’s teams blaming the other for the bout falling through.
When asked if this win could finally make that fight happen, Makhachev played coy.
“There’s a lot of talk, a lot of discussion about this fight,” Makhachev said. “But Topuria himself and his team know why the Topuria vs. Makhachev fight won’t happen at the White House.”
UFC White House takes place June 14 and also features an interim heavyweight title fight between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane.
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