For all these years, two main factors have attracted fighters to the UFC, money, and fame. While most fighters shy away from admitting their adoration for money, there are some who know that more reputation can transform into more money. Lightweight King Islam Makhachev now seems interested in moving up a weight class to pursue glory.
Earlier it was Alexander Volkanovski who moved up from featherweight too and potentially become a champ-champ. The Pound-for-Pound number 1 ranking was also on the line although that promise seems to have fallen through. Makhachev still wants to pursue that number 1 position and he has a new plan which could help him.
In a recent interview, he claimed, “I want to test myself at another weight class because becoming a double champion will go down in history. I am 100% down for it.”
Why is Islam Makhachev moving up a weight class significant?
If Makhachev does end up moving to Welterweight, he will probably challenge the champ. Currently, Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman are scheduled to fight for the third time on the UFC London fight card. The last match saw Kamaru winning pretty much all the rounds (bar maybe the first) until Leon had that head-kick finish.
Makhachev has claimed many times that he sparred with Leon before and managed to defeat him. ‘Rocky’ does not seem to present a lot of threats on the ground either. This is why the AKA prospect might feel confident about taking on the reigning Welterweight champ. But what if Kamaru Usman becomes champion once again?
It’s no secret that ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ is friends with Khabib’s team. They are also managed by the same guy Ali Abdelaziz. There is an unwritten rule that fighters don’t usually fight their allies, but will Makhachev break the code to fight Kamaru? He may not be the first fighter to do such a thing, but his name is big enough to leave a significant impact.
How do you think the 155 lb champ will do at Welterweight?
