Islam Makhachev has been tipped to move through the divisions and become a world champion 30lb up from where he currently holds the belt.
The Dagestani lightweight has been a dominant champion at 155lb, and could break the divisional record for title defenses if he beats Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311. But with his teammate Belal Muhammad holding the welterweight belt, a potential move up might have to be all the way through to 185lb.
Middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis has consistently defied the odds on his run to the world title, and is now established as one of the top fighters in the world. But Makhachev is now being told that he could be the man to dethrone the South African.
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Islam Makhachev unlikely to fight for welterweight title with Belal Muhammad
Despite never missing weight in his UFC career, there has been a feeling in the last few fights that Islam Makhachev’s days at 155lb may be limited. He has regularly needed the towel on the scales, and it is believed that he could make a major impression up at welterweight.
However, he is unlikely to want to face Belal Muhammad, and his coach Javier Mendez reckons that it is generally up to the UFC when it comes to Makhachev’s career. The AKA supremo told The Schmo: “I think that as long as Belal is where he’s at I don’t think Islam will go up.
“I really don’t, and I could be wrong because he could make the decision for himself. But I’m thinking that as long as that’s there, he won’t want to. But the UFC can also decide what they want to, they can reject or encourage your opportunity to go up.
“They actually have a lot to say about what happens with his career because he just isn’t going to say no when they offer him an opponent. So if they want him to go up in weight that’s something that he could say no to but I don’t know if he would or wouldn’t, it just hasn’t happened yet.”
Islam Makhachev backed to move up weights to dethrone Dricus Du Plessis
Mendez has not spoken to his fighter about the possibility of moving up two divisions, but feels he would be well able to do it. The key issue would be gaining weight, with the coach noting that he comes into camp way below the 185lb limit.
“I 100 per cent feel that Islam can [move up to middleweight] if that’s what he wanted to do,” he continued. “But it’s what he wants to do that will happen, not his ability. His ability, come on, I see it in the gym.
“I know how good this guy is so 185lb is not going to be an issue for him, it’s a matter of if he wants to. He comes into training camp and he’s always walking around 179lb to 180lb so obviously if he ever went to middleweight he’d have to put on some muscle.
“I’m not saying he can’t, not saying he won’t, I don’t know because we’ve never discussed it. We have discussed welterweight but again, as long as Belal is there, I just don’t see that happening.”
- Who is Dricus Du Plessis? Meet the UFC brawler putting South Africa on the MMA map