Pursuing double-champ status in the UFC is one of the rarest and most legendary achievements in combat sports, with only a select few fighters such as Conor McGregor, Amanda Nunes, and Daniel Cormier ever accomplishing the feat.

The pair of top pound for pound fighters could have had a superfight over the summer that now appears dead in the water

Topuria vacated the UFC’s 145lb title to challenge Makhachev at 155lb, only for the latter to relinquish his belt and move up to 170lb