Islam Makhachev Waiting for UFC 315 Winner Gets Bad News From ‘Biggest Name’ in the 170-Pound Division

Islam Makhachev might not get his desired result from the Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena fight at UFC 315.

Islam Makhachev Waiting for UFC 315 Winner Gets Bad News From ‘Biggest Name’ in the 170-Pound Division

Islam Makhachev gets warned for waiting for the upcoming title fight between Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena (via X)

For years, Islam Makhachev has dreamed of becoming a double champion by moving up and conquering the welterweight belt. He now eagerly awaits the outcome of the welterweight title fight between Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315. The Dagestani’s ambition remains strong, but timing and matchmaking dynamics could postpone his quest for rare and historic UFC glory. 

For the lightweight champion, Della Maddalena’s victory clears his path to move up divisions with full confidence and intent. However, if Muhammad wins, Makhachev’s plans may stall as contenders like Ian Garry push hard for their deserved title opportunity. Recently, Garry firmly stated he won’t accept anything less than a title shot, confidently making a strong case for himself.

No, I don’t think I need to. I’m the biggest name in the division. I have injured Shavkat and he’s not gonna be fighting this year. I don’t see anyone who’s bigger, anyone who’s more interesting to put on a pay-per-view main event and sell out a stadium. There is no one bigger, there is no one that will create that buzz and I think me and Belal, stylistically, is a great fight. 

Ian Garry via FULL SEND MMA 

Garry was on an impressive 15-fight win streak before he met Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 as a substitute. Despite all odds, the ‘Future’ put on a great performance and pushed the Kazakh fighter to his limits. He came extremely close to submitting Rakhmonov, but ultimately lost the bout via unanimous decision. Nevertheless, the performance definitely boosted his popularity. 

Following that loss, Garry bounced back impressively by defeating dangerous knockout artist Carlos Prates recently at the UFC Kansas City event. It was a one-sided display, with Garry dominating completely and never allowing Prates any chance to unleash his powerful striking arsenal. The win significantly boosted Garry’s growing hype and confidence, reinforcing his determination to loudly campaign for a welterweight title shot.

Garry has also talked about his dream to beat Belal Muhammad and then defend the belt against Islam Makhachev. However, beating the Palestinian champion isn’t that easy, given the momentum he has had throughout his title campaign. Muhammad believes JDM will be an easy win for him, and he would like to continue his reign for a long time.

Islam Makhachev gets a sneaky remark from Belal Muhammad ahead of UFC 315

Belal Muhammad has been the major reason behind Islam Makhachev’s halt to his double-champion dream. Due to their history of training with each other, Muhammad was frequently denied to go against the Dagestani team. However, things have changed a little as the tensions surrounding the title have increased and opened up new speculations.

The new trouble between Islam Makhachev and Belal Muhammad
The new trouble between Islam Makhachev and Belal Muhammad (via X)

It all started with Muhammad’s latest comments on Makhachev, warning him to stop waiting for the welterweight title. According to the Chicago native, the pound-for-pound king should sign any other contract as he is not losing the title at UFC 315. On top of that, in a recent interview, he has projected a direct jibe at Team Khabib while explaining his MMA journey.

I started at 23 years old. I wasn’t born with it. I wasn’t from the mountains of Dagestan. I wrestled 2 years in high school. This is all natural skill.

Belal Muhammad via FULL SEND PODCAST 

Unlike Team Khabib members, such as Makhachev, Umar and Usman Nurmagomedov, who are prodigies, Muhammad certainly started his career late. He didn’t have that support or mentor like Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, who shaped these fighters early in life. However, like many other successful UFC fighters, Muhammad made his way and became a champion due to his hard work and grind. 

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