Islam Makhachev seems dead set on an eventual move up to compete at welterweight, but he says he will need to consult with his teammate Belal Muhammad, who currently holds with UFC’s 170-pound title.
Makhachev is currently in the midst of UFC 311 fight week, and come Saturday he will be attempting to defend his 155-pound title for the 4th time, versus Arman Tsarukyan. Makhachev earned the title back in 2022 with an arm triangle submission victory over Charles Oliveira, and since then has been continuing his legendary run, most recently finishing former interim champion Dustin Poirier with a D’arce choke in the 5th and final round of their contest at UFC 302.
With a win over Tsarukyan this Saturday, many may question what is next former the dominant Russian titleholder, and while it sounds like he does have certain plans to achieve double champ status by moving up in weight, there is still a heavy roadblock to consider with Muhammad at the division’s throne.
“This is my dream,” Makhachev said. “But we have Belal there and he defends his belt soon, but me and Belal have same manager, Ali [Abdelaziz]. We’ll sit and talk. This is my dream to be double champion. I don’t want to leave the sport before I take second belt.”