“Time to become a double champion #inshaAllah. Let’s go,” Islam Makhachev posted across his social media after Jack Della Maddalena defeated Belal Muhammad at UFC 315. Suddenly, the Dagestani’s dream of getting that second belt was closer to becoming reality. And just in a matter of time, Dana White announced that Makhachev would move up to challenge the Aussie in a superfight. Now, on November 15th, the former lightweight champion looks forward to hoisting a second belt he deems so important for his career. But it bears imagining: What if Islam never moved up for a second belt?

To be honest, Islam Makhachev has already cemented his legacy as one of the greatest fighters the sport has ever seen. That status remains unchanged with or without another belt. However, it’s worth recognizing that Makhachev actually moving up to face Jack Della Maddalena at Madison Square Garden is a surreal moment that only true fans can appreciate. Still, even if the Dagestani juggernaut chose not to create that page in history, there would have been some interesting scenarios waiting for him, starting with another possible superfight against Ilia Topuria. 

Islam Makhachev could have faced Ilia Topuria in a potential superfight  

Before Makhachev’s superfight against ‘JDM’ was even on the table, his matchup with Ilia Topuria was the bout that had everyone talking. ‘El Matador’s back-to-back knockouts of Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway made fans believe he could be the one to challenge Islam Makhachev at lightweight division, and the Georgian-Spaniard didn’t mince any words seeking that opportunity. 

At UFC 308 media day, Topuria planted the seeds of this rivalry, saying, “If they call me and they want me to move up to the lightweight division, I will be OK with that, moving up and being the first one to submit Islam.” And after he knocked out Max Holloway in Abu Dhabi, many felt Topuria vs. Makhachev was destined to become the generational superfight. However, there was a problem: Makhachev wasn’t fully sold on the idea.

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The former lightweight champ argued that he had already beaten Alexander Volkanovski twice, so he didn’t see any value in facing Topuria, who, in his eyes, was just another featherweight. In a Match TV interview, Islam said, “In terms of my fighting career, I’m not interested in fighting Topuria at all. He’s in a different weight class. I’ll beat him, and what will it do for me? I won’t win another belt, and everybody will say I beat a featherweight, that’s it.” Still, part of him wanted to find out what the Georgian-Spaniard was truly made of, as he added in the same interview, “But if people want to see him lose, then we can do it.” 

Reportedly, the UFC pushed hard to book that superfight for International Fight Week, and prominent journalist Ariel Helwani also mentioned it as a real possibility. However, the plan fell apart when Makhachev announced that his days in the lightweight division were done. Yet in a surprising revelation, Makhachev’s teammate Umar Nurmagomedov told Adam Zubarayev that the former lightweight champion initially wanted to remain the 155-pound king. ‘Young Eagle’ further revealed Makhachev’s mind changed only after UFC executive Hunter Campbell traveled to Dagestan and personally convinced him to move up.

So, as we’ve learned, Makhachev and Topuria actually could’ve faced each other during International Fight Week if the Dagestani star hadn’t moved up. Also, the former 155-pound champion stepping into welterweight after breaking the record for most title defenses at lightweight, to chase a second belt, makes absolute sense. But truthfully, Islam could’ve surpassed his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov’s lightweight legacy if he had stayed in his original division.  

Makhachev could genuinely surpass Khabib Nurmagomedov’s lightweight legacy   

In their illustrious MMA journey, Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov have shared a brotherly bond that goes beyond titles or glory. Their camaraderie often confuses people into thinking they are actual brothers, but they’re not. However, since both competed in the same division, the comparisons never stop, with fans constantly debating: Who’s truly the greatest lightweight fighter of all time? Although Khabib still might get the majority of votes, honestly, Islam also has a case to surpass him, if he already hasn’t.  

During his eight years in the UFC, ‘The Eagle’ went on a run that very few fighters in history have matched. Khabib Nurmagomedov retired as the only champion with an undefeated record, fighting in four championship bouts with three title defenses. Outside of him, only Benson Henderson and BJ Penn achieved that many title fights in the 155-pound division, obviously without retiring undefeated.

To break it down properly, Khabib defeated Al Iaquinta at UFC 223 to win the belt, followed by his first title defense over Conor McGregor at UFC 229. Then came his win against Dustin Poirier at UFC 242, and finally, ‘The Eagle’ retired from MMA after defeating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. That’s his championship reign in a nutshell. Now let’s compare that with Makhachev.

Islam Makhachev submitted Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 to win the title. Then he went on to defeat Alexander Volkanovski, not once but twice; at UFC 284 and UFC 294. After proving he was indeed better than the Aussie, Makhachev pulled off another submission victory against Dustin Poirier in a very competitive fight at UFC 302. Lastly, he defeated Renato Moicano at UFC 311 after Arman Tsarukyan withdrew at the last minute. With that, Makhachev’s total becomes five championship bouts with four defenses. Just like that, he actually makes a strong case to become the best lightweight in UFC history based on record. But then, there’s more.

Currently, Islam Makhachev is only one win (15) away from tying Anderson Silva’s record for the longest active win streak (16). If the Dagestani wins at UFC 322, he’ll join ‘The Spider’ in this incredible feat. Now imagine if Makhachev were still at lightweight, instead of venturing into a heavier division where the chances of losing are naturally higher. He possibly would have defeated  Topuria to tie the streak, and then beaten Tsarukyan to break Silva’s record.

But let’s make no mistake, both fights would have been extremely tough for the Dagestani phenom! Still, Islam facing lightweights always felt more favorable than him facing Jack Della Maddalena or Shavkat Rakhmonov. Had Makhachev achieved that historic win streak while staying at lightweight, there would have been no doubt: he would’ve been the greatest lightweight ever and at least a top-five all-time UFC fighter.

Now that we’ve seen how the lightweight division could have played out, let’s see what awaits him at welterweight. 

Jack Della Maddalena would’ve battled other top contenders   

Over the years, the UFC welterweight division’s championship scene has been solid, but ever since Leon Edwards ended Kamaru Usman’s reign, that excitement has slowly faded. Fans weren’t too thrilled about ‘Rocky’s overly cautious fighting style, and expectations weren’t very high when Belal Muhammad became champion. But with Jack Della Maddalena now sitting on the welterweight throne, the division is finally shifting back toward real excitement.

The Aussie’s aggressive style has many fans crediting him for “bringing the violence back” to the 170-pound division. And when his fight with Islam Makhachev was announced for Madison Square Garden, people immediately labeled it a “superfight” even though ‘JDM’ had just won the belt. That alone shows how important Della Maddalena already is as a champion. However, if the Dagestani juggernaut hadn’t moved up, things could’ve played out very differently for the welterweight division.

Without the superfight, the UFC would’ve pushed hard to bring Shavkat Rakhmonov back from his hiatus to match him against Jack Della Maddalena. Why? Well, because the Kazakh fighter has a strong presence among fans and remains one of the division’s top contenders. Even JDM stated that he wanted to face Shavkat, while also agreeing that Islam fighting him makes sense. Still, a reigning champ vs. ‘Nomad’ would’ve drawn serious attention. If not, there would have been other great options, like a grudge match against Ian Garry. 

Remember the UFC 315 buildup? ‘The Future,’ acting as backup fighter for the event, pulled a prank by leaving bags of M&Ms for Maddalena backstage, which led to the Aussie firing back with a very personal insult at the press conference. Honestly, who wouldn’t want to see that matchup after that? That said, Sean Brady would also be in the mix, as the Philly native might have the most impressive win streak among them. Also, Brady and ‘JDM’ have unfinished business since their scheduled fight fell apart at UFC 290.

So, these would’ve been solid options for Dana White and the matchmakers to keep the welterweight division moving forward. However, since both divisions would have started rolling if Islam Makhachev hadn’t decided to move up, it’s safe to say that UFC fans might have missed out on one of the most fascinating fights of this era! 

UFC fans would’ve missed out on one of the craziest fights ever  

Although neither Islam Makhachev nor Jack Della Maddalena has Conor McGregor–level fame that pulls every casual fan into the event, it still stands that anyone who understands even a little about this sport wouldn’t dare miss the main event at Madison Square Garden. It’s expected to be one of the most technically entertaining scraps ever.

Makhachev’s freestyle wrestling mixed with elements of Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has turned him into a maestro on the ground. Moreover, the former champion has developed sharp kickboxing as well. At this point, he’s the definition of a complete martial artist with the ability to win anywhere. His opponent? An anti-wrestler in Jack Della Maddalena, who has been proving that he’s the antidote to wrestling-heavy fighters by defeating names like Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad. So, some massive stakes are riding on. 

Also, Michael Bisping explained why this matchup is so fascinating during an MMA Junkie interview, saying, “For Islam, this is not an easy fight. This is not an easy matchup. Jack Della Maddalena, the way he beat Belal Muhammad, is the perfect warm-up fight. If you’re going to fight Islam Makhachev, fight Belal Muhammad before that. He trains with him. He’s got a similar style. He might be bigger, he might be stronger, but the cardio is off the chain. Belal was doing great things, and he made it look, with respect to Belal, relatively easy.”

So, who’s going to win between these two incredible styles? We’ll find out on November 15th. But before that, we have to admit: if Islam Makhachev hadn’t moved up to take this challenge, we would’ve missed out on seeing two completely different skill sets collide to determine who’s superior. As MMA fans, that would’ve been a loss. Plus, there’s another layer of intrigue here: Can Makhachev maintain the same dominance against bigger guys? That also will be answered at UFC 322. 

With so much on the line, the former 155-pound kingpin deserves full credit for making the move up. Otherwise, the UFC would’ve missed out on this amazing superfight. That said, as we’re only a few days away from watching this super clash, who do you think will be the winner? Let us know your thoughts.