UFC 322 was yet another card for the books! Islam Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena fight played out exactly as most expected, with the Dagestani sambo specialist dominating the Aussie on the ground for five rounds inside Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, earning a unanimous decision victory.

With this win, he becomes a two-weight champion, surpassing even his mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov. A title defense is inevitable, but the real intrigue lies in who gets the call. A few names stand out: some inevitable, some deserving, and some that simply make sense. So, the obvious question follows: Who’s next for Islam Makhachev?

Islam Makhachev has some big fights on the table

• Ilia Topuria: For UFC 322, Islam Makhachev moved to welterweight, vacating his lightweight belt. However, Ilia Topuria quickly stepped in and claimed the UFC gold. While both men have openly agreed to fight each other in the future, it won’t be possible in the near future.
  For now, Topuria is expected to compete on the first Paramount card in January next year. His opponent is still unknown, but this month’s Fight Night bout between Arman Tsarukyan and Dan Hooker is considered the No. 1 contender fight for Topuria’s lightweight strap. That means before Topuria can face Islam Makhachev, he will likely need to beat the winner.
• Kamaru Usman: A second move up in weight isn’t impossible, but Kamaru Usman‘s name is also in the mix. However, Usman is out for the rest of the year, hoping he can fight the winner of Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev in his return. In fact, Makachaev himself suggested the fight with the former champ and pound-for-pound king.
  “Who is close [to a title shot]?,” Makhachev asked at UFC 322 media day. “Shavkat [Rakhmonov] is injured I heard. Sean Brady? Saturday I think we’ll know one of the contenders. Why I said [Kamaru] Usman, he’s the biggest name in welterweight. [He] defended the belt. He’s a big name, and he’s in a good position right now.”
  “I made it clear what I want is that title back. That’s where I rightfully belong,” Usman told MMA Fighting. “I think [with me and Islam] it’s obviously both former pound-for-pound [No. 1 ranked fighters], I don’t think in history it’s ever happened where they go at it. So I think that’s a humongous fight.”
• Michael Morales: In a pre-fight presser, UFC CEO Dana White had confirmed that Sean Brady (8-1) vs. Michael Morales (7-0) was a welterweight title eliminator. With Morales winning, he’s now in the conversation, too. Previously, Moreales had knocked out former title challenger Gilbert Burns in May.

The contenders are lining up; the only question left is: where will the fight happen?

Makhachev wanted the fight to happen at White House

Islam Makhachev has made it clear that if the UFC truly wants a historic moment for its planned White House card, there’s only one fight that makes sense: A showdown with lightweight champion Ilia Topuria. With both fighters expressing interest in headlining what could be the most high-profile event in MMA history, Makhachev didn’t shy away from stating his case.

“He wants to fight in White House, I also want to be there. It’s gonna be big fight for MMA community,” he told ESPN, emphasizing the magnitude such a matchup would carry. “I know the UFC wants to do a big fight in the White House. Which fight gonna be bigger than this?”

With him impressing White at every fight since he entered UFC, there’s a good chance the next time Islam Makhachev makes an appearance in the Octagon, it will be against Ilia Topuria at the White House card. But only time will tell whether that would actually happen. What do you think?