Islam Makhachev has officially claimed his place as the new welterweight kingpin.  Now the burning question that has popped up after almost every welterweight bout tonight: what next? Makhachev answered that before leaving the cage. He wants the big one at the White House!

Inside a packed Madison Square Garden, the former lightweight champion delivered a career-defining performance, dethroning Jack Della Maddalena in a grueling five-round battle. From the opening round, Makhachev demonstrated complete control, showcasing the dominant wrestling that has become his trademark. With this victory, he not only captured the welterweight title but also avenged his close friend Belal Muhammad’s previous defeat.

But for Islam Makhachev, this is just the beginning. Following in the footsteps of Alex Pereira at UFC 320, he immediately called out UFC CEO Dana White and President Donald Trump for next year’s “One and Done” White House event, scheduled for June 14, where stars like Conor McGregor and Jon Jones are already expected to appear.

Islam Makhachev’s rivalry with Ilia Topuria is heating up once again, adding even more anticipation for future showdowns. After the fight, during the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, when asked, “Well, again, you have moved into a very elite group of people, the double champs. There’s no shortage of contenders here at 170 lbs. When would you like to defend this new world title again?” Makhachev called out, “Donald Trump, let’s go open the White House. I am coming.”

Meanwhile, Topuria wrote, “Jack needs an entire camp dedicated just to wrestling. What a disappointment of a champion. You should go to Georgia to learn something. Islam, you need something you can’t train: emotion. You’re the most boring thing in this game. Every day I’m more certain I put you to sleep.”

Last month, Ilia Topuria was the first to call out Islam Makhachev for the White House event, describing it as one of the “biggest fights in UFC history.” Islam Makhachev accepted Topuria’s challenge to battle inside the 55,000-square-foot presidential residence, calling it a “big fight for the MMA community.”

As a result, the Spanish-Georgian champion is already turning his attention to 2026. He has confirmed that he will not compete for the remainder of this year but remains fully focused on Islam Makhachev for this high-profile matchup, which even has the support of Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Khabib Nurmagomedov throws support behind Islam Makhachev ahead of Topuria fight talk

While fighters like Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, and Alex Pereira are looking to represent their countries on the UFC White House card, UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov considers nothing bigger than the Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria matchup. Makhachev himself emphasized this point while speaking to Josh Thomson on YouTube, “not Jon Jones and Pereira.”

Jon Jones retired and handed up his gloves back in the summer, vacating his heavyweight title, though he has since returned to the testing pool in October. Meanwhile, Alex Pereira, after reclaiming his light heavyweight title at UFC 320, told Dana White that he wants a fight against Jon Jones next year.

Even with all the hype surrounding Jones vs. Pereira, Nurmagomedov believes it doesn’t compare to Makhachev vs. Topuria, which would feature arguably the two best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. “Still a big fight, but not on that level,” Nurmagomedov said of Jones vs. Pereira. “I don’t think it’s same level.”

Looking at the division where Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria could face off, UFC veteran Chael Sonnen predicts a welterweight showdown. Both fighters are elite, but few matchups could be as thrilling as seeing the Georgian step up to compete for a third belt.

(More to come)