Islam Makhachev details ideal UFC opponent to star on White House card

Makhachev was expected to square off against Topuria before he moved up to welterweight

Islam Makhachev has stoked speculation surrounding a potential fight with UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria after naming his ideal opponent for the touted White House card.

Makhachev, 34, has joined the likes of Conor McGregor and Alex Pereira in pushing for a headline spot on the event, which is deep in the planning stage for next summer.

US president Donald Trump, a friend of UFC president White, said earlier this year that he wanted to celebrate 250 years of his country’s existence by holding fights at the White House. And White, 56, recently said a breakthrough had been made and even shared mocked-up images of an Octagon on the South Lawn.

Makhachev is pencilled in for a welterweight title clash with Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 next month, his first fight since relinquishing his crown as king of 155lbs.

The decision to move up a weight class denied the fans of a hotly-anticipated bout with knockout artist Topuria, but the Dagestani has hinted that the White House card could call for such a super-fight to finally be booked.

"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.

“If people want this fight, if UFC want this fight, we can do this. I know the UFC wants to do a big fight in the White House. Which fight going to be bigger than this?

“I have a good fight now and I know Ilia is going fight soon. We’ll see what’s going to be happening.”

Islam Makhachev during his reign as lightweight champion (Getty Images)

Topuria, 28, looks increasingly likely to be pitted against Justin Gaethje for his next title assignment, having crushed Charles Oliveira to win lightweight gold back in June.

This came off the back of a short-lived but devastating reign at featherweight, sleeping Alexander Volkanovski to bring an end to the Australian’s era as champion before doing the same to fellow legend Max Hollaway.

He poses the greatest threat to Makhachev’s status as the UFC’s pound-for-pound best, who beat the likes of Oliviera, Volkanovski and Dustin Poirier on a formidable run atop the lightweight division.