The loss of welterweight champion Belal Muhammad has thrown two divisions into flux, and now UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev has vacated his title to move up to welterweight.
“If Belal were to win, Islam was never going to fight Belal, and he was going to stay in the lightweight division. But now Jack wins,” said Ali Abdelaziz, manager of both Makhachev and Muhammad, in an interview with MMA Junkie. “Islam has beaten everyone in this division—literally. Dan Hooker, Arman [Tsarukyan], Charles Oliveira. He’s on a 15-fight winning streak and has finished nine of his last 10 opponents. No one is more deserving of a second title shot than Islam. The only reason he hadn’t gone for it sooner was because Belal was the champion.”
What makes this move even more surprising is Makhachev’s decision to vacate the belt. Fighters like Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, and Amanda Nunes have all held two titles simultaneously. So why wouldn’t Makhachev do the same?
Abdelaziz didn’t offer a clear explanation, saying only, “You have these two guys—Charles Oliveira and Ilia [Topuria]—fighting, and they can fight for the title. But everybody knows who the real champion is in this division, because Islam never lost the title.”
What’s also puzzling is that Makhachev is stepping away just as Ilia Topuria is set to face Charles Oliveira for the now-vacant lightweight title—a fight that could have set up a massive showdown between Makhachev and Topuria.
Then there’s the wildcard: Dustin Poirier. He’s expected to face Max Holloway in what he’s calling the final fight of his career at UFC 318.
After Islam’s dominance in the lightweight division, Poirier seemed content to walk away. But now that the title is vacant, one has to wonder: could this sudden shift reignite his hunger for one last championship run?
We may just find out in July.
