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Islam Makhachev's manager recently made his feelings known on the possibility of his client returning to lightweight and made a bold claim regarding his status in the division. He dismissed the idea and implied that the Dagestani has nothing left to accomplish at the weight class.
Makhachev relinquished his lightweight championship in order to move up to welterweight, where he is expected to challenge champion Jack Della Maddalena in his first title defense. Despite a high-profile clash against Ilia Topuria being a lucrative option, Makhachev changed his career trajectory after setting a new record for most consecutive successful lightweight title defenses (4) in UFC history earlier this year.
In his latest appearance on Submission Radio, Makhachev's manager Ali Abdelaziz expressed his confidence in his client's chances at becoming a two-division champion and achieving success at 170 pounds. Abdelaziz said:
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"Islam [Makhachev] will not lose, Inshallah. He will not lose. I never think that. I always think [he'll win]. Islam [has] been smashing people for the last ten years. And he's gonna keep smashing people. Two title defense, Islam will be the greatest fighter of all time. He'll surpass everybody and nobody can even question it."
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Check out Ali Abdelaziz's comments below (20:01):
Ali Abdelaziz says Jack Della Maddalena is a tough challenge for Islam Makhachev
According to Ali Abdelaziz, Jack Della Maddalena could prove to be a tough opponent for Islam Makhachev.
In the aforementioned appearance, Abdelaziz highlighted that the oddsmakers haven't listed Makhachev as an overwhelming favorite and mentioned that Della Maddalena isn't an opponent that his client is taking lightly. He said:
"Islam and [Della Maddalena] is almost even, this is what people think about. Khabib [Nurmagomedov] said it's a very tough fight. And if we think, 'Oh, we look over JDM', people are crazy. I think this guy is so talented, he's so fluid, he's good everywhere. I just think Islam is better. That's my opinion, my humble opinion. But, I got nothing but respect for this young man. He's phenomenal and he's very fun to watch and... guys like him are the future of the sport." [19:10]
Check out UFC on TNT Sports' post of Dana White announcing Islam Makhachev's move to welterweight below:
