Islam Makhachev Vacates Lightweight Belt for Welterweight War
By Zeeshan Ali November 11, 2025 05:50
The Octagon has a way of swallowing legacies whole, but Islam Makhachev? He's spitting one back out, polished and twice as heavy. On a crisp May morning six months ago, the Dagestani destroyer pound-for-pound king, Khabib Nurmagomedov's heir apparent did the unthinkable: He vacated his UFC lightweight title, the one he'd defended a record four times, to chase glory at welterweight. No drawn-out negotiations, no interim limbo. Just a clean break, announced by UFC CEO Dana White on Instagram Live like it was a post-fight bonus reveal. "Islam's going up to 170 to face Jack Della Maddalena," White barked, his voice gravelly with that trademark edge. "He's the f*cking best."
Now, with UFC 322 looming next weekend at Madison Square Garden, the war drums are thundering. Makhachev (27-1), the 33-year-old Sambo savant who's finished 13 of his last 15 wins, steps in against Della Maddalena (18-2), the Aussie sharpshooter who snatched the belt from Belal Muhammad in a unanimous-decision masterclass at UFC 315. It's not just a title tilt; it's a referendum on Makhachev's audacity. Can the man who suffocated Dustin Poirier and arm-triangled Alexander Volkanovski twice dropping him cold with a head kick in their rematch conquer a division stacked with welterweight wolves? Or will Della Maddalena, with his 78% striking accuracy and knockout power in seven of eight UFC wins, expose the lightweight refugee as outgunned?
The seeds of this saga were planted in the shadows of Makhachev's dominance. He claimed the 155-pound strap in October 2022, choking out Charles Oliveira in a blur of ground-and-pound that left "Do Bronx" gasping for air. What followed was surgical: submissions over Volkanovski (twice), a guillotine on Poirier that had the crowd at UFC 302 chanting "Russia!" despite the Newark backdrop, and a D'Arce choke on Renato Moicano at UFC 311 in January that lasted all of 4:59. Four defenses, tying BJ Penn for the most in lightweight history. Fifteen straight UFC wins, second only to his mentor Khabib's 29-0 mythos. Makhachev's stats read like a cheat code: 2.4 takedowns per 15 minutes at 53% success, 4.1 submission attempts per fight, and a striking defense of 64% that turns haymakers into harmless breezes.
But whispers of welterweight had haunted him since the Poirier win. "I've beaten everyone at 155 literally," Makhachev told reporters in Abu Dhabi last summer, his English clipped but his ambition crystal clear. "It's time for the dream." The pivot hinged on Muhammad, his part-time training partner and fellow Ali Abdelaziz client. As long as "Remember the Name" held gold, Makhachev vowed to stay put. "Belal broke my plans," he'd admit later, a wry smile cracking his stoic facade. Their bond forged in Dagestani sweat and shared managers made a clash unthinkable. Khabib himself nixed it: "My heart is not OK with Islam fighting Belal," the retired GOAT confessed on a podcast. "It's hard to prepare for a brother."
Enter Della Maddalena. The 28-year-old Perth native, with his razor-sharp boxing and 6-foot-2 frame, dethroned Muhammad in Montreal with a clinic: 142 significant strikes landed, zero takedowns attempted, and a walking-back jab that bloodied the champ's nose early. Post-fight, Della Maddalena didn't mince words, staring down the camera: "Islam, come get it. Put him back in his place." White, sensing a seismic shift, greenlit the jump. Makhachev vacated days later, clearing the path for Ilia Topuria to battle Oliveira for the vacant lightweight crown at UFC 317. "It was unfortunate Makhachev ran away," Topuria sneered on X, igniting a feud that's simmered into a full boil. Makhachev fired back: "Difference between me and you? I cleaned my division. You? Big mouth from Spain with a nice haircut. Get one W at 155, boy."
The barbs flew like overhands in a prelim scrap. Topuria, now lightweight king after a second-round KO of Oliveira that had Vegas shaking, has vowed to chase Makhachev to welterweight if the Russian wins. "If Islam beats Jack, I'm coming for him at 170," Topuria posted last month, his 16-0 record gleaming like a fresh tattoo. Makhachev, unfazed, shut it down cold: "No going back to lightweight. 60, 70 percent on fight night after cuts? I'm done with that." His manager, Abdelaziz, doubled down: "Nobody's finishing guys like Islam head kicks, smashes. At 170, he's bigger, stronger. A problem for the whole division."
Critics, though, smell opportunism. Why vacate when you could hold hostage? Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes they all doubled up without dropping a strap. But UFC brass has tightened the leash on simultaneous champs, forcing Pereira to lose his light heavyweight gold before hunting heavyweight. Makhachev's camp insists it was fairness: "We didn't want to hold 155 ransom with no defense timeline," Abdelaziz explained. Teammates reveal he'd eyed the move for years, post-Volkanovski II. "Islam's been dreaming of this since 2022," a source close to the camp told ESPN. "Lightweight's conquered. Now it's legacy time."
The fight itself? A stylistic nightmare. Della Maddalena thrives at range, his 5.8 significant strikes per minute dwarfing Makhachev's 3.2 output. But Islam's wrestling rooted in four Russian national Sambo titles could turn MSG into a Dagestani clinic. "Jack's got power, but Islam's control is suffocating," predicts Javier Mendez, Makhachev's coach. "One takedown, and it's over." Della Maddalena, training in Vegas, isn't sweating: "He's small for 170. I'll box him into next week." Odds have Makhachev as a -180 favorite, but the line's tightened from -250 amid Della Maddalena's five-fight KO streak.
A win catapults Makhachev into rarified air: fifth two-division champ, chasing Anderson Silva's three-belt record? "Double champ's the dream," he laughed in a Match TV sit-down. "Triple? I can't eat that much anymore." Retirement looms two to three fights left, per Mendez but this war could rewrite the script. Lightweight's chaos (Topuria's reign already tested by Paddy Pimblett's upset bid) contrasts welterweight's shark tank: Shavkat Rakhmonov lurking, Sean Brady rebuilding, even a vengeful Muhammad eyeing contenders.
As the Garden faithful gear up for the November 15 clash headlining a card stacked with Oliveira's comeback and Garry vs. Buckley Makhachev's gamble feels like vintage Dagestan: calculated, relentless, unbreakable. "I've got nothing left to prove at 155," he said last week, shadowboxing in the gym lights. "Now? We make history." Della Maddalena, shadowboxing back, begs to differ. In the Octagon, dreams collide. And on Saturday, one man's war becomes another's coronation.
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