Islam Makhachev can’t seem to catch a break. Despite defending his lightweight title four times—against legitimate names like Alexander Volkanovski (twice), Dustin Poirier, and Renato Moicano—he is now the focus of “strip him of the belt” discussions. And the reason? He’s hesitant to face Ilia Topuria, who recently stepped up from featherweight. That was all it needed for guys like Ben Askren to go full-throttle, claiming Dana White should remove the belt if the Dagestani did not step up. “I think Dana (White) should just do Dana stuff and just say, ‘Hey, Islam, if you don’t want to fight, you’re stripped,'” Askren said on his “Funky and the Champ” show. But here’s where things become interesting: Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen don’t buy that logic. In fact, they think it’s complete nonsense.

On their show Good Guy/Bad Guy, both DC and Sonnen mentioned something that many fans have been thinking but not expressing out loud: why is there so much fuss about Islam Makhachev when Jon Jones, the heavyweight champion, has defended his championship once and no one is saying anything? Sonnen kept things simple: In the past two years, the Dagestani has fought four times. That is activity. That is being a champion. Meanwhile, ‘Bones’ has remained on the sidelines, and many continue to treat him as if he is untouchable. He said, “He has fought in the last two years. He fought Volk. He fought Dustin. He fought Volk again. He fought against Moicano. He fought them all. He fought four times in the amount of time that the heavyweight champion fought once.”

The comparison simply doesn’t hold up, and Cormier addressed the double standard squarely. As per ‘DC,’ Makhachev’s reason to avoid Topuria also makes sense. After all, the Dagestani fight has fought and dismantled featherweights in the past. Cormier said, “But you know what’s annoying to me is Islam Makhachev has said, I don’t want to really fight Ilia Topuria because he’s a 45-pounder, and I’ve done that. Give me somebody else. People are like, take the belt off of him.” The fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall was intended to be a watershed event in the heavyweight division—two champions, one belt, and a lot of excitement. But somehow, the fight disappeared into thin air.

Chael Sonnen recently revealed that Jones is no longer in the picture and that the Briton would most likely face Ciryl Gane instead. Fans quickly noticed something strange. Why does the interim champ have to keep defending when the true champ seldom fights and still retains the gold? Cormier’s frustration reflects what many fans are thinking right now. How is it fair that Islam, the top pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC, is threatened with being stripped, while Jones gets a pass for achieving absolutely nothing in the same period of time? Now, all true fight fans can do is sit and wait while Jon Jones takes a six-month break to prepare himself for nothing, while Islam Makhachev looks forward to his new challenge, one that might never happen.

Islam Makhachev’s new title dream faces a roadblock

While Jon Jones has the luxury of time and selective matchmaking, Islam Makhachev is caught in the opposite limbo—too many options, but none that make sense. He seeks glory. He wants a second belt. But the path to the welterweight title is anything but simple. All eyes are on UFC 315, where Belal Muhammad will defend his title against Jack Della Maddalena. The fight could determine Makhachev’s next step… perhaps close the door on his title hopes completely. The catch? Belal Muhammad does not want to fight him. And not in the “duck a hard fight” way. This one goes deeper. These are two individuals who have bled together in training, lifted each other up, and stood by Khabib Nurmagomedov as brothers rather than teammates.

In this case, loyalty is more than just words; it is a reality. ‘Remember The Name’ clearly states that he will not fight Islam Makhachev, even if the UFC pays him the highest salary of his life. He said, “That time, they’ve done so much for me, they’ve helped me so much that it wouldn’t be worth it to fight those guys. There’s too much respect and loyalty on my end…I think people are just wondering and hoping for him to fight, looking for any excuses for him, right? There are guys in that division who make sense.” Instead, he’s considering moving to middleweight and giving up his welterweight title in order to avoid that fight. That move, while admirable, leaves the Dagestani in a strange spot—waiting on a result that might mean nothing.

So what happens to Makhachev if Belal Muhammad wins and walks away? He’s also not sold on Ilia Topuria. From Islam’s perspective, ‘La Leyenda’ has yet to earn an opportunity at lightweight. A featherweight title does not entitle you to challenge the king at 155. While names like Charles Oliveira, Arman Tsarukyan, and even Paddy Pimblett have been tossed around, none are without baggage. Whether it’s because of previous matches, time, or even fan perception, none of them provide the “superfight” experience Islam Makhachev seeks. His weight cuts are becoming more difficult, his choices are thinning out, and despite being the most active champion on the roster, his path to greatness is being slowed by politics, loyalty, and a scarcity of willing opponents. What do you think is next for him? Let us know in the comments.