It appears the UFC had been planning a significant weight class move for lightweight champion Islam Makhachev – but not in the direction many had assumed.
Speaking in a candid interview on Adam Zubayraev’s Hustle Vlog, Umar Nurmagomedov shared details about a surprising visit from UFC executive Hunter Campbell to Dagestan.
“He’s the one who made the Khabib-Conor fight happen,” Nurmagomedov explained about Campbell’s importance within the organization. “He flew out, and honestly, I don’t even know if I’m allowed to say this…but they wanted Islam to move up.”
According to Nurmagomedov, the UFC’s motivation was strategic. “They want to make Topuria the champ at 155. Not because Islam wants to move up…but because they want him to be the champ there. They believe he can really sell fights.”
The plan appeared to hinge on Belal Muhammad’s recent title fight outcome. “The plan was: if Belal won, Islam would defend his title at 155. But now that Belal’s out of the picture, Islam will likely move up to 170. And become a double champ, InshaAllah,” Nurmagomedov said.
Importantly, Makhachev has no intention of vacating his lightweight title. “He doesn’t want to. He has no plans to vacate it. He still wants to fight at 155 too,” Nurmagomedov clarified.
This creates the potential for Makhachev to achieve rare double-champion status by claiming the welterweight title while retaining his lightweight belt. “Exactly, yeah. That’s the idea,” confirmed Nurmagomedov when asked about this possibility.
The physical preparation for such a move is already underway, with Makhachev needing to add muscle mass to compete at 170 pounds. “He needs to gain some serious mass,” Nurmagomedov noted, while dismissing the possibility of a further move to middleweight (185 pounds) as unrealistic given Makhachev’s natural weight.
Ahead of his UFC 317 title against Ilia Topuria, Charles Oliveira revealed he once considered buying a tiger for his farm, channeling his inner Mike Tyson—but ultimately decided against it due to the animal’s high maintenance needs and his frequent travel schedule. While Topuria has made headlines for changing camps and training with Roy Jones Jr., Oliveira offered a glimpse into his unconventional preparation by showcasing his rural lifestyle, which includes llamas, ostriches, and a bird enclosure. Despite Topuria being seen as the more polished striker, Oliveira remains relaxed and focused as he aims to become the first fighter in UFC history to reclaim the lightweight title.
