UFC Legend Tags Islam Makhachev’s Welterweight Move a ‘Big Mistake’ ahead of JDM Title Fight

UFC analyst questions how former 155-pounder Islam Makhachev will handle the size difference and power output as welterweight title challenger.

UFC Legend Tags Islam Makhachev’s Welterweight Move a ‘Big Mistake’ ahead of JDM Title Fight

UFC analyst unsure how Islam Makhachev will handle the size disparity at welterweight (Source: X/IMAGO)

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Team Islam Makhachev constantly dismissed an Ilia Topuria challenge this year, based on various reasons. The lack of resume for the Georgian-Spanish fighter at lightweight was one reason; the potential size disparity was another. Now that former lightweight Makhachev is ready to try his fate a division above at welterweight, karma is likely knocking at his door with much the same arguments.

This week, karma is tagging in as UFC veteran Michael Bisping with serious doubts. These doubts are nothing new. Islam Makhachev and team rep Ali Abdelaziz have headhunted dual-weight glory for a while now. Longtime reigning UFC 185-pound king Dricus Du Plessis twice gave him a reality check that the duo’s dousing of his skills would not transfer to full weight and power at one or two divisions above.

DDP even dumped down that while Makhachev was a big lightweight with some 192lbs natural hydration on daily gigs, it’s different. A ‘big’ lightweight is still a small middleweight (185lbs) who carries even more hydration and force of power. Now, Bisping makes that point stick as there are serious doubts about the Dagestani’s welterweight move.

I think he’s got a point [Della Maddalena does], …He’s got a point because, because… Volk, we all love Volk, what a guy, he’s awesome, …but if you’ve ever been around him, he’s not a very big man. He is the man, but he’s a smaller man. And that first fight with Islam, he gave him everything he could handle. Jack Della Maddalena is not a small 170-pounder…It might be a big mistake for Islam going up to 170, …It might be a bit of a stretch, but fair play to him. I respect it.

Michael Bisping said on his ‘BELIEVE YOU ME’ Podcast: 643 W/ Paul Felder

Makhachev has it down on a skills level. Not that many weeks ago, he was still the promotion’s #1 pound-for-pound fighter, and for a reason. He has outboxed boxers, kicked out a kickboxer, and submitted a submissions specialist at 155-pounds. But in his 170-pound wishlist, he gets to challenge Jack Della Maddalena.

Much like Makhachev, ‘JDM’ also has a transferable all-around skill set. The Aussie man’s coach, Craig Jones (instructed Alexander Volkanovski, too), helped iterate that recently. He coached Della Maddalena, who dethroned Belal Muhammad at the UFC 315 PPV welterweight title fight in Montreal.

Craig Jones recently explained with how good of a stand-up names like Della Maddalena and even Tom Aspinall have (trained BJJ since he was 8 with his father), the fight clique takes them for granted. They often bill that they won’t have a good ground game routine, TD defense, grapples, trips, and so on. This makes the champ an unheralded challenge for Islam Makhachev,

Bisping, who saw Makhachev struggle with Jones’ BJJ student Volk the first time around, thus reserves his doubts. Despite a 15-fight streak and four title defenses, he has a bold stance on it that Makhachev won’t fare well here. Plus, a welterweight move is not best-suited, perhaps, with the current guard.

Michael Bisping’s stand comes from welterweight Jack Della Maddalena’s resolve, who thinks much the same

Islam Makhachev was one of seven competition fighters in UFC history to bag submission wins based off of five or more different techniques. Veteran 155-pounder Charles Oliveira, Frank Mir, and some other big names have done it, too.

Islam Makhachev poised for a tough time against the welterweight king
Islam Makhachev poised for a tough time against the welterweight king (Source: X)

The Dagestani, while a Combat Sambo master, used to land 60.3 percent of his significant strikes in UFC 155-pound competition. That, and his 1.51 significant strikes per minute in active competition, were the highest going rate in the weight class.

The once pound-for-pound topper has stifled standups from Dustin Poirier and grapples and single-legs/pick attempts from Oliveira with equal proficiency. However, he struggled against UFC featherweight champion Volkanovski in their first go, and the Aussie legend wasn’t some humongous and exemplary giant trying double-division glory.

Makhachev strifed, swung, and shimmied onto a mount many a time. But Volk and his technical recovery, even just at a moderate frame, was quite something. Round 3 onwards (more patient in round 4), his striking also did more than wonders, and the Perth faithful lauded it.

Given all that and the pockets of success there, Della Maddalena (HT/WT: 5’11”, 170 lbs) is a genetic giant here, in comparison. The switch stance striker thinks that Makhachev was too small for his weight class and would not fare well. He is even ready to bank on and take pointers from that UFC 284 affair.

Yeah, it’s the dream first title defense, pound-for-pound No. 1, …We, we…Get him back for Volk. We saw what Volk did to him. I’m going to get him. He’s too little; he’s too little. I’m going to get him [alright]…

Jack Della Maddalena to Eternal MMA (@EternalMMA) at High Performance Centre

Per BetOnline.Ag, Makhachev opened up a -200 betting favorite on the money line for a then ‘champ-champ’ title fight. But opinions and odds are fast shifting on that matter. Only time will tell how the Dagestani fares at welterweight.

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