Islam Makhachev won the UFC’s welterweight title in his divisional debut against Jack Della Maddalena and now the former lightweight champion has expressed regret that he didn’t make the move up earlier.
“When I started, I was only dreaming of making it to the Top 15 and fighting the best of the best,” Makhachev said during a talk with the press in Dagestan. “Then, when I entered the Top 15, then the Top 10, then won the belt, I started feeling that I could afford to go up a weight class, gaining weight in a proper way, so I could feel comfortable up there and not have to cut that much weight.
“And that’s how it really played out. In my last fight, I wasn’t smaller than my opponent; we were on equal terms, and I regretted a bit that I didn’t move up way before, forcing myself to cut that much weight for such a long time.”
The fact that Makhachev now feels better than ever up at 170lbs may well make the rest of the welterweight division feel uneasy given that he’s already been so dominant at lightweight.
Despite his tough weight cuts, Makhachev managed to go 27-1 at 155lbs, including amassing a 15-fight winning streak in the Octagon that saw him win the title and then successfully defend it four times.
It seems the door is now closed on that era now though as he looks ahead to more challenges at 170lbs, with the likes of Shavkat Rakhmonov, Ian Machado Garry and Michael Morales being among the leading contenders who are eager to fight him in 2026.
