Islam Makhachev, who plans to move to the welterweight division, might become a middleweight champion, according to his coach.
Recently recovering from a hand injury, Islam Makhachev will make his return soon. The lightweight champion will defend his title on January 18, 2025, in Los Angeles, during UFC 311. He will face Arman Tsarukyan, an opponent he knows well as they have fought before.
That was in 2019, and the Russian won by unanimous decision. This time, Islam Makhachev believes he will finish the fight before the maximum limit.
For some time now, the pound-for-pound number one has been eyeing the belt in the weight category above, the welterweight belt. However, the belt is currently held by Belal Muhammad, who regularly trains alongside the Dagestani, making the matchup almost impossible.
Furthermore, preparing for a fight against “Remember the Name” would be extremely complex, according to Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Islam Makhachev at -84 kg?
In addition to Khabib, Islam Makhachev also trains under Javier Mendez. According to him, his fighter not only possesses the qualities but also the capabilities to become a champion at -77 kg.
Speaking on the YouTube channel “The Schmo,” Mendez stated he believes Islam is capable of becoming a middleweight champion:
“I’m 100% confident that Islam can do it if he wants to. But what he wants to do will be up to him. His abilities, honestly, are phenomenal. I see them every day in training. So yes, moving to 84 kg wouldn’t be a problem for him.
The question is whether he wants to. When he came into the training camp, he still weighed 78.76 kg. So, clearly, if he moves to middleweight, he’ll have to gain some muscle mass. But I’m not saying he can’t, or he doesn’t want to. I don’t know; we’ve never discussed it.”
According to his coach, Islam Makhachev could become a champion at -84 kg if he desires. The belt in this category is currently held by Dricus Du Plessis. The South African champion is a formidable fighter who could easily evolve into -93 kg.
However, Javier Mendez remains very confident in his protégé’s abilities. Yet, it is hard to imagine this fight happening, especially since Islam Makhachev, according to his coach, might retire within a year.
