“If you’ve seen videos and pictures of Islam lately, he’s bigger—much bigger. And he’s gonna have to be if he wants to get through the monster that is Jack Della Maddalena.” Daniel Cormier stated this on his YouTube channel while analyzing Islam Makhachev’s transformed physique. Ahead of UFC 322, the former lightweight champion has definitely been putting in work to match the size difference against Jack Della Maddalena. But while cutting weight was always the toughest part of the Dagestani’s preparation, this time, gaining weight has turned into a grueling task.

When Islam Makhachev decided to vacate the 155 lbs belt and move up to 170 lbs to chase double-champion glory, no one questioned his skill set in the division. However, being considerably smaller was always a concern among fans. Still, the Dagestani’s coach, Javier Mendez, assured in a Red Corner MMA interview, “I was thinking we were going to be quite a bit smaller than Jack, but then I saw Islam—he’s put on the weight really nicely. I think Islam right now is about a solid 191 lbs.” But now, Makhachev reveals that the process of gaining weight hasn’t been smooth as he prepares for the Madison Square Garden showdown.

Islam Makhachev reveals hard weight gain to welterweight ahead of UFC 322 fight with JDM

In an interview with ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, Islam Makhachev said, “This camp is really hard, you know. I gained weight, I become big, you know, and the opponent, the sparring partner, I change there. Some guys, they are also very big, you know, that’s why it’s very hard camp we did like. The first camp we did for lifting, you know—it’s the weights which I use in the training, everything is changing, it’s become very hard. Now, I feel good, just like a little jet lagged after the flight. And like, just a couple of days more and I’ll be good.”

Islam Makhachev and his team can breathe a sigh of relief. Their primary concern was that Jack Della Maddalena already has a size and stand-up advantage going into UFC 322. That edge made Khabib Nurmagomedov recognize the Aussie champ as Islam’s most dangerous fight ever, acknowledging JDM’s advantage on the Hustle Show Podcast, stating, “First of all, Maddalena is twice the size of Ilia, he’s twice as big.” So, the Dagestani camp can be happy about overcoming the size disparity before stepping into the Octagon in MSG. 

However, Makhachev has shown some optimism about his weight-gain process, mentioning that adopting a new lifestyle and using protein and supplements for the first time in his career have made his recovery much better. He added, “I use protein, creatine, you know. First time in my life, I almost use every day. And it’s like first supplement which I feel something’s change, you know. It give you recover very fast.” He also pointed to an easy weight cut, saying, “87 KG. And in the fight week I want to be like 83. It’s gonna be very easy cut weight, honestly.”

So, the former lightweight champion might actually be fight-ready when it’s time to face the champ from Down Under. That said, while discussing the challenges of gaining weight, Makhachev also talked about how cutting weight for the lightweight division used to limit his performance to just 60–70%. 

Makhachev feels he underperformed in the lightweight division   

Islam Makhachev has cemented his status as the UFC’s 155 lbs GOAT by racking up a record four title defenses. What’s even more impressive is that the Dagestani former champ has achieved this feat while maintaining a 15-fight winning streak. Just one short of equaling the great Anderson Silva, who holds 16 consecutive victories. While we’re admiring the former lightweight champ’s greatness, he believes he was only performing at 60–70% in his previous weight class due to the massive weight cut he had to endure before every fight.

Continuing his interview with ESPN MMA, Makhachev said, “Honestly, I feel that. No one who cuts like 10 KG, more than 10 KG, ever recovers 100%, you know. I still feel like I recover for the fight only 70–60%, you know. Because it’s so hard to recover before 30 hours. Now, I’m very excited to see how I’m gonna feel in the cage.”

According to ESPN, Islam Makhachev’s walking weight used to be around 180 lbs, meaning he had to cut a massive 25 lbs to make the lightweight limit. Because of that pressure, his body had to perform with depleted energy. Yet, he still managed to dominate his opponents with ease. Now, fans are eager to see whether he can maintain the same level of steamrolling in his new weight class.

That said, do you think Islam Makhachev having trouble gaining weight could become a concern at UFC 322 against Jack Della Maddalena? Let us know in the comments section below.