Islam Makhachev has left the lightweight throne behind. After a record-breaking four dominant title defenses, he’s moving up to welterweight. The prize? A shot at newly crowned champ Jack Della Maddalena. On paper, it’s the kind of fight that headlines pay-per-views and stirs excitement. But here’s the catch: it looks like he’s diving straight into the deep end of a shark tank!

Welterweight isn’t what it used to be. It’s no longer ruled by familiar veterans like Kamaru Usman, Jorge Masvidal, or Colby Covington. Now, it’s a battlefield filled with hungry lions, and one just made a massive statement at UFC Vegas 106. His name? Michael Morales. And according to a former UFC middleweight, the Dagestani champion might just need to reconsider his welterweight ambitions before it’s too late.

Islam Makhachev told to reconsider welterweight move as Derek Brunson sounds the alarm

Michael Morales just torched Gilbert Burns in the UFC Vegas 106 headliner in just under three minutes. A jab here, a leg kick there, and then a brutal flurry that forced referee Herb Dean to step in and save ‘Durinho’. With that performance, Morales extended his win streak to six. He now shares that spot with fellow knockout artist Joaquin Buckley. For the uninitiated, Shavkat Rakhmonov stands above them with seven, and champion Della Maddalena leads the pack with eight.

As such, the welterweight division is brimming with talent, and Islam Makhachev is walking straight into that furnace. Amidst this, former UFC middleweight Derek Brunson, who was watching the event, then took to X and wrote, “The UFC welterweight division right now JACK MADDALENA, SEAN BRADY, SHAVKAT RAKHMONOV, IAN GARRY, JOAQUIN BUCKLEY & MICHAEL MORALES. A lot of young talent and potentially fun fights. It’s not too late to tell Islam he has to stay at 155.”

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Because, as promising and dominant as Makhachev has been at lightweight, he’s not walking into a handpicked playground in the weight class above. Della Maddalena’s performance against Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 proved he has what it takes to survive wrestling pressure and find his shots on the feet.

And Morales? He was supposed to be tested by ‘Durinho’, who had pushed even Khamzat Chimaev to the limit. Yet, the Ecuadorian signaled the arrival of the next generation with his performance. Even Buckley may have his sights set on the top, especially if he gets past Kamaru Usman at UFC on ESPN 69 on June 14.

Ian Garry? He was ready to be the backup for the Della Maddalena vs Muhammad clash, and he’s raring for a title shot as well. No matter how you spin it, welterweight is now a battlefield, and the question becomes, can Islam Makhachev survive the storm?

Makhachev handed a brutal reality check by Kenny Florian

Kenny Florian, a man who knows what it’s like to move up in weight, isn’t sold on Islam Makhachev’s latest play. Florian is only one of two fighters in the UFC’s history who have fought at middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, and featherweight! As such, when discussing the welterweight campaign on the horizon for the Dagestani champion on the ‘Anik & Florian Podcast’ he confessed, “Based on his grappling and well-roundedness and experience, I think that he could definitely pose some problems for JDM, however, I don’t think he could dole out the same level of power as some of the 170lbers…”

But the bigger fear? Can Islam take what he dishes out at lightweight when those punches are coming from a bigger man? Florian pointed to Belal Muhammad’s iron jaw during his loss to Jack Della Maddalena. Belal ate three right hands in a row, brutal ones, and somehow stayed on his feet.

As Florian pointed out, “I was just thinking, how the hell did he take one of those, let alone three? I don’t see any lightweight in the world taking those shots.” And here’s where things get heavier, literally. Florian stressed the 15-pound difference between lightweight and welterweight.

At the highest levels of the sport, that usually means a massive increase in power that Della Maddalena is very capable of dishing out. Against someone like the Aussie champion, who seemingly punches with bricks inside his gloves and reads openings like a chess master, the margin for error disappears fast. Even for someone like Islam Makhachev!

Will the Dagestani juggernaut continue his dominance at welterweight? Or will the weight of ambition finally pull him under? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!