The drama in the UFC lightweight division has finally ended, as champion Islam Makhachev has decided to move up in weight. This decision came shortly after Jack Della Maddalena‘s welterweight title fight against Belal Muhammad at UFC 315. Following the event, UFC CEO Dana White announced that Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira will compete for the now-vacant lightweight title.

Since vacating his featherweight belt, Topuria had plans to fight Makhachev and capture the lightweight belt. Currently, the Georgian-Spanish is feeling confident about beating Oliveira and potentially becoming the 155-lbs champ. However, now that the Dagestani is going up, the knockout specialist has taken the opportunity to accuse Makhachev of running away. 

In response, Makhachev fired back on X, contrasting his dominant lightweight reign with Topuria’s relatively brief featherweight stint. “Difference between me and you, that I cleaned top list in my division, moved to next, but you ran away from two contenders who had consecutive 5-9 wins in FW division.” The Dagestani challenged Topuria to win the belt and be ready for a potential challenge.

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Islam Makhachev’s welterweight move was wrong?

Before vacating the lightweight belt, Islam Makhachev cemented his legacy with four dominant title defenses. On paper, he surpassed Khabib Nurmagomedov’s reign and gained admiration for his complete, well-rounded fighting style. He dismantled elite contenders like Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, and Alexander Volkanovski, each in their prime, solidifying his status as one of the most successful fighters in UFC history.

Following his dominant victories, many fans wanted Makhachev to fight Ilia Topuria and many backed the former featherweight to knockout the Dagestani. But now the superfight doesn’t seem possible and Makhachev has shifted his focus to fighting a heavier and talented striker like Jack Della Maddalena. Makhachev has often mentioned that getting the second belt has always been a bigger priority than fighting another featherweight. 

Della Maddalena’s spectacular performance against Belal Muhammad earned him a surge of new fans eager to see him dethrone Makhachev. The Aussie star exudes confidence and seeks redemption for Volkanovski’s back-to-back losses to Makhachev. If the Dagestani defeats JDM and captures the welterweight title, it would undoubtedly take his legacy to another level.

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