Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Islam Makhachev Still Has Aspirations for Lightweight Dominance and Double Champ Status with 155 & 170-Pound Titles

Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Islam Makhachev, the former UFC lightweight champion, dominated the 155-pound division with basically an iron grip, defending his title four times and earning the reputation as one of the sport’s pound-for-pound elites. With a 15-fight win streak and finishes in eight of his last nine fights, Makhachev’s reign in the lightweight division was something to behold, including a standout win over Charles Oliveria and Alexander Volkanovski. However, his long-standing goal of becoming a two-division champ has led him to set his sights on the welterweight title at 170 pounds. This move was spurred by a shift in lightweight division after former featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria, decided to move up to the 155 division.

Islam Makhachev has VACATED his lightwelt belt to move up to the welterweight division and face Jack Della Maddalena, says Dana White 😮 pic.twitter.com/24QDp7mcwW
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 13, 2025

While Makhachev’s wish to move up and compete for the welterweight title was granted by the UFC, it came with a catch. He was compelled to vacate his lightweight title, which was a move that sparked a lot of controversy. Following Jack Della Maddalena’s upset victory over Belal Muhammad at UFC 315, the UFC saw an opportunity to crown a new lightweight champion, with Topuria now facing Charles Oliveira at UFC 317. Reports surfaced that UFC’s CBO Hunter Campbell visited Makhachev in Dagestan to urge him to relinquish the 155-pound belt, prioritizing Topuria’s marketability. Ultimately the decision to move up has fueled accusations from fans and Topuria himself that Makhachev was ducking a potential superfight, with critics mainly pointing to Makhachev’s reluctance to face the former featherweight champ as evidence of avoiding a risky matchup.

Makhachev’s Double Champ Aspirations Persist

Despite moving to welterweight to challenge Jack Della Maddalena, Makhachev remains hungry in his desire to compete at 155 pounds and achieve double-champ status. His teammate Umar Nurmagomedov revealed the UFC’s push, stating, “They wanted Islam to move up. They wanted to make Topuria champion at 155… but Islam doesn’t want to vacate. He had no plans to vacate the title. He still wants to fight at 155.”

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Nurmagomedov’s comments highlight Makhachev’s belief in his lightweight legacy, having “beaten everyone in the division,” as his manager noted. While the UFC’s push for Topuria to claim the 155-pound belt could be in their best interests for now, Makhachev refusing to fully abondon lightweight makes us believe that he might comeback to 155-pound division to reclaim his throne. That of course won’t happen if Makhachev loses the fight against Maddalena, but if everything goes according to his plan, we could witness the Topuria vs. Makhachev fight which might go down as the most anticipated fight in UFC’s history.

Islam Makhachev

UFC

Umar Nurmagomedov

Eric Divakaran

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