“Granted, Ilia is special, but if he lost to them, there’s a massive market opportunity lost there,” Michael Bisping said on his YouTube channel. ‘The Count’ was spot on about the spectacle Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria could’ve delivered. Bad blood, elite skills, clashing egos, the fight has everything needed for a blockbuster. However, that superfight fizzled when Islam chose to vacate his belt and move up to chase two-division glory against Jack Della Maddalena at 170 lbs. Still, hope remains, with several ideas floating around to make it happen.

‘JDM’ beating Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 in Canada cleared up a lot. Not only did it confirm that Makhachev will finally get his long-awaited shot at the welterweight title. But it also paved the way for Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira to headline International Fight Week at UFC 317 for the vacant lightweight strap. That one outcome changed everything as the dream superfight between Makhachev and Topuria clearly got off the table.

To keep things interesting, ‘El Matador’ initially teased he’d be open to moving up in weight again to chase the superfight. But he later shifted his stance, saying it would only happen if the UFC truly wanted it. Since that seems unlikely, rising flyweight contender Muhammad Mokaev has stepped in with a surprising solution of them potentially clashing in a catchweight bout.

Red Corner MMA uploaded a video on X, where Mokaev gave Chael Sonnen an interview, where he said: “For example, Islam fights Ilia and he beats him. For example, People say, he beat another 145-er. But, if Islam wins the title now at welterweight and then Ilia beats Oliveira, that’s even bigger fight to create, right? So, I don’t think Islam is going to slow down his career. Even if they strip his belt, in my opinion, he will be double champion.”

The Arab-American former UFC flyweight added, “That’s how it all started, if Conor could, why Islam can’t you know! This fight gets better because, rather than Islam fights Topuria and the hype slows down. See, Islam becomes the champion, Topuria becomes the champion and they can fight at catchweight for whatever they want.”

It’s an interesting idea, but still far from realistic. First, ‘El Matador’ has to win the title at UFC 317, and Jack Della Maddalena would need to lose his belt to Makhachev—both fights still hanging in the balance. And considering Maddalena’s strong showing against Belal Muhammad, handing him a loss won’t be easy.

Also, the UFC has never been keen on holding catchweight fights for a title, especially when no official division exists. If Ilia and Islam were to fight for a catchweight belt, it would essentially create a new weight class, requiring a whole new roster of contenders or a big transfer. That opens the door to confusion over rankings, title defenses, and who vacates what. In the end, it’d be more chaos than clarity.

There’s no doubt Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev are among the UFC’s biggest stars. A showdown between them would draw massive pay-per-view numbers, regardless of weight or title. However, many believe a new generation of fighters is on the rise, ready to rival their star power, potentially shifting the spotlight in the coming years.

Chael Sonnen names Paddy Pimblett a bigger star than Ilia Topuria, Islam Makhachev, and others

The UFC had seen its fair share of stars in the many years of being the apex MMA organization. Ronda Rousey, and of course, Conor McGregor, who was in a league of his own during his prime. Now we’ve got guys like Ilia Topuria, Alex Pereira, and Alexander Volkanovski as the superstars of the promotion. But according to Chael Sonnen, Paddy Pimblett’s charisma might just take him to the very top.

‘The Bad Guy’ in his recent YouTube video said: “Paddy is on a meteoric rise. You want to talk about who’s the next big star? I hear this all the time. Is it Ilia? Is it going to be Islam? Is it O’Malley? Is Pereira the biggest star? What do we do without Conor McGregor? I hear all this talk. Guys, I was in the building, the closest one right now, in the absence of O’Malley. I’m telling you, it’s Paddy.”

Sonnen definitely has a point! Pimblett’s last performance against Michael Chandler shot his fame through the roof. And if the Liverpudlian can keep that same fire in future fights and grab the belt, there’s no question he could become the UFC’s next big cash cow. Could he surpass the star power of Pereira, Topuria, and Volk? That’s something worth watching unfold.

That being said, how do you think the lightweight division would pan out since we’re a month away from the UFC 317 spectacle? Is Paddy going to be next in line after Ilia vs Oliveira gets done? Or does Islam Makhachev eventually return if his expedition in the welterweight division fails? Please let us know in the comments section below.