Reigning UFC lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, wants to abandon his post at 155 pounds and challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the 170-pound title after watching the Aussie dispose of former welterweight kingpin, Belal Muhammad, at UFC 315 in Montreal.
Fortunately for Makhachev, the feeling is mutual.
Makhachev (27-1) is currently the -200 betting favorite for their potential championship showdown, according to BetOnline.ag, against +170 for Della Maddalena (18-2). You can expect those numbers to fluctuate — in both directions — as we get closer to fight night.
That’s not all.
Current strawweight titleholder, Zhang Weili, is teasing a potential jump to 125 pounds to capture her second crown by taking on defending flyweight champion, Valentina Shevchenko. “Bullet” recently turned away Manon Fiorot in the UFC 315 co-main event.
“Magnum” opened at -145 against +125 for Shevchenko.
Neither contest should be considered official at this time as the promotion has to figure out if and when both fights make sense for their respective divisions. Shevchenko vs. Weili may face little resistance, but there’s a much bigger fight waiting for Makhachev at lightweight.
For more UFC 315 results and fallout click here.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
