Mendez agrees with Makhachev on former five-time defending UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (21-4 MMA, 16-3 UFC) being the ideal first title defense.

Chael Sonnen believes Makhachev gains more by fighting Topuria at welterweight than by reclaiming a belt he already held for years. Topuria, meanwhile, has used his recent momentum to needle the Dagestani fighter publicly and build pressure around a potential superfight.

However, Ilia Topuria became pound-for-pound number one by knocking out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 in June. Islam Makhachev will get the chance to reestablish himself as the best fighter in MMA when he takes on welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 on Saturday night.

Paddy Pimblett promises to destroy Ilia Topuria, claiming he’ll humble the UFC featherweight champion and bring him back to reality.

Islam Makhachev has admitted that he is still not happy about how the UFC pound-for-pound rankings have played out. The former lightweight champion used to be the consensus number one on a list meant to sort out the best fighters in the sport,

Paddy Pimblett claims Ilia Topuria has been presented a bout agreement to defend his UFC lightweight title, but is dragging his feet.

While the highly anticipated fight between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria hasn't come to fruition yet, the Dagestani remains determined to take on 'El Matador', and has now revealed his perfect time

When you’re at the top, rivals are never in short supply — all eager for a chance to shine by your side.  That’s the case for Arman Tsarukyan, one of the

This Saturday, Makhachev moves up to 170 pounds to challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight title at UFC 322. Should he win, Makhachev will become the 11th two-division champion in UFC history, and cement himself as one of the best fighters of this generation. But his coach, Javier Mendez, knows that’s a tall task.