Islam Makhachev Will Get Welterweight Title Fight

Islam Makhachev Will Get Welterweight Title Fight

UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev has vacated the lightweight title in an attempt to become a two-division champion. Makhachev will move to welterweight and be given an immediate title shot against newly crowned champion Jack Della Maddalena. The fight is verbally agreed to, but the date and location are not official.

UFC CEO announced Makhaechev’s future on Instagram Live.

Makhachev carved a legacy for himself in his lightweight tenure. That headline to his tenure is breaking the record for consecutive UFC lightweight title defenses. That was accomplished with two wins over Alexander Volkanovski followed by victories over Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano. Not to mention, his win over Charles Oliveira to win the belt is an elite victory. Overall, he finishes his UFC lightweight tenure with a 16-1 record.

Makhachev’s decision to move up is bittersweet. The welterweight division is currently red hot with contenders. The addition of Makhachev adds another strong contender to the mix. Meanwhile, a potential welterweight championship and title run would take his legacy to another level.

The timing of Makhachev’s move is convenient for the welterweight landscape. He can get a title shot in 2025 while top contender Shavkat Rakhmonov recovers from injury.

The downside to this news is that there we multiple interesting lightweights left for Makhachev to fight. The most obvious was Ilia Topuria. That said, bouts against Arman Tsarukyan, Max Holloway, or others would have provided a level of interest and greatly added to his legacy.

How Long Can Jack Della Maddalena Rule The Welterweight Division?

In Makhachev’s absence, Topuria will fight Charles Oliveira for the vacant title at UFC 317.

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