"Ilia and Islam wants JDM to win" - Fans react as Dan Hooker claims Islam Makhachev's fate tied to Jack Della Maddalena vs. Belal Muhammad

Islam Makhachev has his eyes tightly locked onto the main event outcome of UFC 315 in the eyes of Dan Hooker, who thinks that fight will determine the next step for the UFC's lightweight champion. Jack Della Maddalena will look to unseat Belal Muhammad from his welterweight throne in the referenced UFC 315 headliner, which transpires in Montreal on May 10.

Islam Makhachev has the record for most title defenses in lightweight history and has long indicated a desire to be a two-division champion, but he does have a training history with Belal Muhammad that would prevent the two from fighting. Speaking with Submission Radio, with an excerpt of the conversation being posted to X account @DovySimuMMA, Hooker said:

"If JDM wins, 100% Islam will go up and fight for the welterweight title. That's what they're all waiting on this weekend before anything gets announced with Islam or Ilia or any of that. And then we'll probably see Charles and Topuria fighting for the lightweight belt. If Islam says, he'll fight Ilia for the belt."

X users came out in droves to offer up their opinions on Hooker's thoughts regarding Makhachev, Muhammad, and Maddalena.

@markzmaste97171 said:

"Ilia and Islam wants JDM to win [laughing emojis]"

@JacobCookeMMA stated:

"I think Belal is gonna win so it's gonna be Islam vs Ilia"

@akram8xx quipped:

"Been telling since the beginning"

Check out more comments below:

[Images courtesy: @DovySimuMMA on X]

Check out Dan Hooker's thoughts on how Islam Makhachev fits into UFC 315 below:

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Islam Makhachev should vacate his belt if he moves up, according to the manager of a former opponent

Islam Makhachev should follow the same pattern as Ilia Topuria, who vacated his belt to move up for further championship aspirations, according to the manager of Charles Oliveira. In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Oliveira's manager and trainer, Diego Lima, said the UFC might have to book an interim welterweight championship fight if Makhachev moves up a division.

The 33-year-old titleholder and Oliveira have history together already, with Makhachev initially cementing himself as the kingpin of 155 pounds by submitting the Brazilian standout when they fought. When speaking of the UFC championship landscape, right now with a specific focus on what the native of Russia should do if he goes up to 170 pounds, Lima quipped [via BJPenn.com]:

"If Makhachev goes up? Then he loses the belt. It's like [Ilia] Topuria. I think the UFC will ask him to choose. If he says 'I'll fight [at 170], then they have to create an interim. The division must move. Fighters fight a lot to get to the belt, and when they get there, they want to sit on the belt. It shouldn't be like that, man."