Islam Makhachev’s title situation is complicated.
Per all the latest reports, the Lightweight kingpin’s future has already been decided for him. One way or another, Ilia Topuria will challenge for Lightweight gold. Makhachev has his eye on UFC 315’s Welterweight title clash between his buddy Belal Muhammad and Australian knockout artist Jack Della Maddalena. If “JDM” leaves the cage with gold, Makhachev likely intends to chase a second title … even if that means vacating his belt just like Topuria did!
Here’s the tricky bit: Makhachev has been an exemplary Lightweight champion, defending against all comers and securing dominating finishes. His last couple years as champion have been wildly impressive, but we’re already talking about stripping him if he pursues 170-pound gold.
UFC color commentator Daniel Cormier — who knows a thing or two about winning dual titles — is utterly confused by the narrative, especially in comparison to how Jon Jones is allowed to continue his absentee heavyweight reign.
“You know what’s annoying to me is Islam Makhachev has said, ‘I don’t want really to fight Ilia Topuria because he’s a ‘45er and I’ve done that. Give me somebody else.’ People are like, ‘Take the belt off of him. He should be stripped,’” Cormier began on ”Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Chael Sonnen (via MMA Junkie)
“I’ve seen reports, and I don’t even know that they’re true, it’s either strip or defend for Makhachev. Why? In the last two years, he fought (Alexander Volkanovski), he fought Dustin (Poirier), he fought Volk again, he fought against (Renato) Moicano. He fought them all. He fought four times in the amount of time that the heavyweight champion fought once.”
Admittedly, Cormier isn’t exactly an unbiased source. His feud with Jones has quieted, but it lives on even as Cormier’s competitive career has ended. Conversely, Makhachev is a team mate through the American Kickboxing Academy and Dagestan connection.
“Should he get stripped? I don’t know man,” Cormier continued about Jones. “Because if he didn’t get stripped in March 2023 all the way to November of ‘24, why would you do it now? It’s been six months (since he fought Miocic at UFC 309). The first time it was 18 months from him winning that belt to him defending that belt, and he did not get stripped. So, why would they strip him today?”
The future of the Lightweight division should clarify next weekend (Sat., May 9, 2025) at UFC 315, but the Heavyweight division continues to be a mystery. There’s been no indication either way of whether Jones intends to fight Tom Aspinall, who is currently the longest reigning interim champion in UFC history.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
