Did Islam Makhachev Just Eat Another Lightweight? His Welterweight Bulk-Up is Turning Heads

Islam Makhachev, the man who basically cleaned out the UFC’s lightweight division and then casually vacated the throne, is on a new quest. And no, it’s not to find a worthy challenger at 155 pounds—he’s already beaten them all. Instead, he’s decided to chase two-division glory by moving up to welterweight, a division filled with bigger, scarier dudes. His first test? A title fight against the new welterweight king, Jack Della Maddalena, at UFC 322 this November.

Of course, the second this fight was announced, the MMA world started buzzing with the same old question: “But can he handle the size difference?” It’s a valid concern. We’re talking about a 15-pound jump, which in the fight game is the difference between a tough night at the office and getting folded like a lawn chair. Makhachev himself even admitted he was having a tough time packing on the pounds, which sent his fans into a mild panic. But hold your horses, because according to his coach, Javier Mendez, things have taken a… sizable turn.

Is Makhachev Secretly a Welterweight?

In a recent chat with Red Corner MMA, the legendary coach Javier Mendez gave an update that should probably make Jack Della Maddalena raise an eyebrow. Mendez, who’s seen it all, admitted he initially thought his star pupil would be significantly outsized. But then, he saw the new and improved Makhachev.

“I was thinking we were going to be quite a bit smaller than Jack, but then I saw Islam,” Mendez said. “He’s put on the weight really nicely. I think Islam right now is about a solid 191 pounds, so we’re not going to have the issue with jumping up a weight.”

Let that sink in. 191 pounds. For a guy who used to kill himself to make 155, that’s a whole lot of extra Dagestani muscle. For context, Makhachev’s walk-around weight as a lightweight was supposedly around 180 pounds. Now, he’s strolling into camp looking like a legitimate welterweight, and not one of those skinny ones either. It seems the man who spent his whole life cutting weight has finally figured out how to put it on, and just in time.