Ali Abdelaziz, the man behind both Islam Makhachev and Justin Gaethje, took to X on Thursday to make a declaration that has set the record straight for those having questions surrounding the lightweight and welterweight title fights.

Justin Gaethje's Path to Undisputed Gold

Abdelaziz left no room for interpretation when it came to “The Highlight's” immediate future. Gaethje, fresh off his dominant unanimous decision victory over Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 in January, is next in line for the undisputed lightweight championship — period.

The 37-year-old reclaimed interim gold in what was the first main event of the Paramount+ era, and his manager is making sure the UFC brass knows there's only one fight that makes sense next.

“Just to be clear, @Justin_Gaethje is fighting next for the undisputed Lightweight title and if Topuria doesn't want then Justin will fight for the undisputed title against whoever is next,” Abdelaziz wrote.
​

That last part is key. Abdelaziz isn't banking on Ilia Topuria accepting the fight — he's making it clear that Gaethje gets a title shot regardless of who's across the cage. If Topuria, the undefeated undisputed lightweight champion sitting at 17-0, declines, the UFC will need to find another opponent or potentially strip the belt. Gaethje himself has been vocal about wanting to headline the historic UFC White House card on June 14, a once-in-a-lifetime event on the South Lawn that Dana White has called “the most watched UFC event ever”.

Article Continues Below

Islam Makhachev's First Title Defense

Despite speculation linking the Dagestani grappler to a superfight with Topuria, Abdelaziz shut the door on that being next. Makhachev's next fight, he confirmed, will be against “a real welterweight”.

Makhachev captured the welterweight title with a commanding unanimous decision over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 last November. Since then, a line of legitimate 170-pound contenders has formed, including Ian Machado Garry, who has reportedly already begun camp, along with Carlos Prates, Michael Morales and of course the former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman still in the mix. Any of those matchups would test Makhachev against a fighter who naturally carries welterweight size — unlike Topuria, who would be moving up from 155 pounds.

Makhachev himself recently expressed openness to facing Topuria, telling Telegraf, “I like this idea. If the UFC wants this fight, I know a lot of MMA fans want this fight, I'm ready”. But Abdelaziz made it clear that if the superfight happens, it will be on Makhachev's terms and timeline — not Topuria's.

There's a chess match happening behind the scenes that shouldn't be ignored. Abdelaziz manages both Gaethje and Makhachev. Gaethje gets the lightweight title unification he's earned, and Makhachev defends his welterweight title against a legitimate 170-pounder. With Ramadan beginning February 17 and lasting through mid-March, Makhachev won't begin training camp until late March at the earliest, giving the UFC time to formalize matchups for the June 14 White House card.