A feud between Islam Makhachev and Dan Hooker has been steadily brewing over the years. After a series of callouts in 2020, the pair was hoping to fight each other before the Kiwi was asked to face Paul Felder instead. This started a heated rivalry between the two. When they finally met in the Octagon at UFC 267, Makhachev dominated, submitting Hooker via kimura in just 2:25 of Round 1—nearly breaking his arm in the process. But things didn’t end there!

After Makhachev successfully defended his title against Hooker’s teammate, Alexander Volkanovski, at UFC 284, Hooker accused Makhachev of illegally using an IV drip for rehydration. This further escalated their feud. However, with Makhachev’s move to welterweight and pursuing a fight against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 on November 15, 2025, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Hooker’s tone appears to have softened. 

Islam Makhachev could do what Khabib Nurmagomedov couldn’t

Hooker recently appeared in an interview with Sky Sports New Zealand, where he spoke about Islam Makhachev’s upcoming fight against Jack Della Maddalena. Instead of his usual taunts and jabs, ‘The Hangman’ showered the Russian southpaw with praise. “Huge ask for Islam. Credit to him for stepping up and coming to welterweight,” Hooker said. “Definitely got my respect for being able to move up and fight Jack Della.” He explained that the 33-year-old can accomplish what even Khabib Nurmagomedov, a close friend and teammate, couldn’t when the latter was in the UFC. 

“It’s something that even the greatest lightweight of all time, Khabib, never managed to chase as an accomplishment, and being a two-division champion,” Hooker said during the interview. A clip of the interview was posted on X by Red Corner MMA, which quickly attracted Makhachev’s attention.

Reacting to Dan Hooker’s praise, the Eagles MMA team member revealed his true motivation behind fighting Maddalena. “Need new haters, the old ones are starting to like me,” Makhachev wrote on X. Notably, if the Russian beats Maddalena, he will become the 11th two-division champion in UFC history, joining the likes of Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, and Amanda Nunes. But the big question is, what happens if Makhachev loses?

Makhachev’s loss to Jack Della Maddalena will be costly, says Ilia Topuria

Ilia Topuria believes Islam Makhachev has a lot more than the UFC welterweight strap at stake in his fight against Jack Della Maddalena. Notably, Topuria has long targeted a fight against Makhachev. He criticized Makhachev’s move to welterweight and has teased a move up in weight for a historic third UFC title. 

So, ahead of the Maddalena fight, the reigning featherweight champion made it clear that if the Russian loses to Maddalena in New York City, it will derail a potential fight between them in the future. “If Islam loses, he can return back to Dagestan… and continue herding sheep,” Topuria said at a press conference in Georgia. “If he wins, I will definitely rise. Definitely, 100 percent.” 

Having said that, it appears Islam Makhachev has a lot at stake in his upcoming fight. However, only time will tell whether he will live up to his rival’s praise and potentially secure a fight against Topuria. What do you make of all this?