Islam Makhachev plots division move following UFC 284 win: ‘I want to test myself at another weight class’
Off the back of his close, unanimous decision victory over undisputed featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284 earlier this month, lightweight kingpin, Islam Makhachev has sights on a move to another division – eyeing a second title victory under the banner of the organization.
Makhachev, the current undisputed lightweight champion, headlined UFC 284 earlier this month in Perth, Australia against featherweight titleholder, Volkanovski, landing a competitive unanimous decision win.
The victory came as Makhachev’s twelfth consecutively at the lightweight limit since a KO loss to Adriano Martins, having previously clinched the vacant lightweight crown with an October submission win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 280.
Islam Makhachev weighs up weight class leap following UFC 284
Weighing up a potential immediate title rematch against New South Wales technician, Volkanovski off the back of his judging win ‘Down Under’, Islam Makhachev also discussed potentially making a division leap in pursuit of a second UFC championship belt.
“I want to test myself at another weight class, because becoming a double champion will go down in history,” Islam Makhachev told Match TV during a recent interview. “I am 100% down for it.”
If Makhachev plots a welterweight division move in pursuit of a second Octagon crown, the American Kickboxing Academy staple would be tasked with toppling either current undisputed titleholder, Leon Edwards, or former champion, Kamaru Usman – whom he is a stablemate with under the Dominance MMA banner, with the pair slated to headline UFC 286 next month.
Earlier this week, Makhachev also took to his official social media in a bid to weigh up his next Octagon walk – with the aforenoted featherweight kingpin, Volkanovski urging him to sign up for an immediate rematch in order to provide fans and spectators another spectacle.
In the immediate aftermath of UFC 284 at the RAC Arena, Volkanovski and Makhachev both appeared to welcome the opportunity to share the Octagon with each other again – with the former offering to travel to Abu Dhabi, UAE this time around in pursuit of gold.
