Overview
- Fresh rankings place Makhachev back at No. 1 pound-for-pound after a 50-45 shutout of Jack Della Maddalena, tying a 16-fight UFC win streak.
- Michael Morales jumps to No. 3 and Carlos Prates to No. 5 at welterweight, with Belal Muhammad vs. Ian Machado Garry set to further shape the queue in Qatar.
- Makhachev has voiced interest in Kamaru Usman for his first defense, sportsbooks list Usman as the leading candidate, and a Bloody Elbow fan poll favors Ilia Topuria.
- Daniel Cormier highlights Shavkat Rakhmonov as the toughest stylistic test for Makhachev, noting the Kazakh’s size, wrestling and striking despite recent inactivity.
- Manager Ali Abdelaziz publicly warned Ilia Topuria after a UFC 322 crowd brawl that led Dana White to issue Dillon Danis a lifetime ban, while Chael Sonnen’s critique of control-heavy grappling prompted rules debate countered by Joe Rogan’s no-standups stance.