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Islam Makhachev, the UFC lightweight king, will defend his belt for the third time against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 in June. Makhachev is known for his wrestling and relentless pressure, which he used to overpower Alexander Volkanovski twice at UFC 284 and UFC 294.
However, despite his dominance, making weight has been a challenge for Makhachev in the past. The fighter has also mentioned stepping up to welterweight in the past.
How much does Islam Makhachev weigh?
The UFC lightweight division has a weight limit of 155 pounds. Islam Makhachev must hit that mark at the weigh-ins a day before the fight to keep his title.
According to his training partner Daniel Cormier, Makhachev walks around at a much heavier weight – up to 200 pounds when not in training camp. This means he needs to shed a significant amount of weight to compete.
For his UFC 294 rematch with Volkanovski, Makhachev faced a massive weight cut. He started his training camp at a hefty 191 pounds and needed to lose nearly 35 pounds to reach the 155-pound limit.
His coach, Javier Mendez, revealed that Makhachev typically weighs around 185 pounds two weeks before a fight. However, his weight can balloon up to 191 pounds when he's not actively preparing for a bout.
Has Islam Makhachev ever missed weight?
Islam Makhachev has established himself as a dominant force in the UFC lightweight division. But throughout his career, there have been a few instances where he hasn't hit the exact weight mark for his fights.
Looking at Makhachev's professional record, only two instances show him competing outside the standard lightweight limit of 155 pounds.
According to an article by Dmarge, The first came early in his career at M-1 Challenge 41 in September 2014. Here, he participated in a catchweight of 65 pounds. Catchweight fights are those agreed upon by both fighters at a weight outside their usual division.
The second instance occurred in more recent times. In the main event of UFC Fight Night 202 held two years ago, Makhachev faced Bobby Green in a catchweight contest at 160 pounds. This deviation from the lightweight limit was due to the short notice nature of the fight, allowing Green additional time to cut weight without compromising his health.
In Makhachev's case, neither of his catchweight contests involved a weight miss. He successfully met the agreed-upon weight limits for both fights. Throughout his UFC career, except for these two pre-arranged catchweight matchups, Makhachev has consistently made weight for his lightweight bouts.
