UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen recently stated the sole reason he believes Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria now need to fight. Sonnen also criticized the UFC ranking committee for creating confusion over the years.
In 2025, Topuria moved up to 155-pounds and grabbed the vacant lightweight strap by knocking out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317. After this win, ‘El Matador’ was also crowned the pound-for-pound kingpin, and he ended Makhachev’s reign, which lasted for 602 days.
However, Topuria’s reign didn’t last long as Islam Makhachev, after beating Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 and becoming a two-division champion, recaptured the top spot back on the P4P chart.