Islam Makhachev is moving up to 170 pounds to chase a second UFC title, but he’s had to vacate his 155 pound title to do it.
That was the arrangement the UFC made so it could put the full and undisputed lightweight title on the line when Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira fight at UFC 317 in June. And while we’re sure Makhachev would have rather kept the lightweight belt at least until he won the welterweight belt so he could do the whole double champ thing, his manager Ali Abdelaziz says we all know what’s up.
“Islam has beaten everyone in this division, literally,” Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie in a new interview. “Dan Hooker, Arman [Tsarukyan], Charles Oliveira. He’s on a 15 fight winning streak, finish eight of his last nine opponent. Does anybody deserve to go fight for a second title [more] than Islam?”
– Most UFC lightweight title wins (5)
– Most total & consecutive UFC lightweight title defences (4)
– Second longest win streak in UFC history (15)Islam Makhachev’s UFC lightweight reign comes to an end as he vacates the title and will move to welterweight to challenge Jack… pic.twitter.com/5KGmOL8PWw
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) May 13, 2025
“The reason was he wasn’t gonna do it because Belal [Muhammad] was the champion. The UFC, I was talking to Dana and he’s like, ‘If anybody deserve it, Islam can do whatever he wants.’ And, ‘If Islam goes up, he’s the champion.’”
But now that Muhammad has lost the title to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315, Makhachev is finally able to go for the belt — and he’s not waiting around to do it.
“You have these two guys Charles Oliveira and Ilia fighting, and they can fight for the title,” Abdelaziz said. “But everybody know who’s still the champion of this division, because he never lost the title, right? Now Islam gets to fight at the end of the year, fight Jack Della Maddalena, who’s who’s a really good fighter, all credit due.”
While it’s a big task moving up to 170, Makhachev’s manager is confident his fighter is up to the task.
“Nobody in the UFC right now, in any division, is doing what Islam Makhachev is doing,” he said. “Finishing guys at this level, putting on unbelievable fights, knocking people out with head kicks, just smashing people. I’m going to tell you something: he’s going to be a problem for a lot of these guys. I believe at welterweight, you’re going to get a bigger, not depleted, stronger Islam Makhachev, and I believe he is going to be a problem for the whole division.”
And when he finally fights Della Maddalena sometime near the end of the year?
“He will have the two belts on top of his shoulder because he’s still the lightweight champion.”
