We’ll finally have a new lightweight champion after almost three years, with Ilia Topuria taking on Charles Oliveira for the vacant title at UFC 317. But despite Islam Makhachev getting a shot at a second belt against Jack Della Maddalena, he wasn’t willing to drop the lightweight star. He made it clear even before Dana White made that announcement. “I’m not going to vacate my lightweight title,” Makhachev tweeted, which was the same sentiment that his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, echoed as well.

However, it seems like the whole narrative has changed from Team Khabib’s perspective. With a guaranteed fight for a second belt, Ali Abdelaziz claims that Islam Makhachev and the UFC came to terms and made a mutual agreement to vacate the belt, allowing the division to move on with an undisputed title. The first reason he provided was the fact that Makhachev, who’s on a generational 15-fight winning streak, has defeated almost every ranked 155ers.

Secondly, the bigger picture for Islam Makhachev is always to be a two-division champion. So, whether he gets to carry both of his titles or not, he’ll always be remembered as a dual-weight champion if he manages to edge past Jack Della Maddalena, which Ali Abdelaziz is confident about. “Honestly, it was like kind of almost mutual, you know. Islam was gonna move up. He did everything. He has beaten Charles Oliveira, has beaten Arman Tsarukyan, has beaten Hooker, have beaten most of the guys in the top 10 or 15,” Team Khabib’s manager told ‘Submission Radio’.

“[Makhachev] has beaten [many ranked fighters] on a 15-fight winning streak… The only thing he’s not doing in the division is like putting people in body bags, you know,” Ali Abdelaziz added. “”His dream [is] to always have two titles, right?… this is what makes your legacy. You know, people all the time going to remember him as a two-division champion.”

Well, that decision makes sense because an interim title will become a hassle for Dana White. The heavyweight division is a great example of that, as Jon Jones’ inactivity caused Tom Aspinall to become the longest-reigning interim champion in UFC history. On the other hand, with Islam Makhachev deciding to drop the title, there’s a growing notion that maybe another lightweight fighter from Team Khabib will be moving to the UFC and join the division. However, it seems unlikely, as per Javier Mendez.

Is Usman Nurmagomedov coming to the UFC’s lightweight division after Islam Makhachev vacated the title?

Islam Makhachev vacating the belt was a surprise, but it’s going to happen, and someone else will replace him as champion. As we know, Team Khabib fighters don’t fight each other, and now that the lightweight division is open for everyone, people are speculating if Bellator/PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov will make his way into the UFC. His brother Umar Nurmagomedov is already in the promotion, so is there a possibility that he moves over? Well, Javier Mendez claims that it’s not going to happen because Usman is quite comfortable in his promotion.

“No, Usman, he is with the PFL. No, there’s no talks about it. They’re taking really, really good care of him. But at the end of the day, when the contracts are up, the contracts are up,” Javier Mendez told Tim Welch on YouTube. “So whoever bids the highest, and the fighter wants to go, then that’s where the fighter is gonna go. But at present time, he’s got an obligation with PFL. They’re taking great care of him. But I happen to think, and I’ve said it on many occasions, I think he’s the second-best lightweight in the world.”

Winning a second belt is something that Khabib Nurmagomedov could never do, as he called it a career after his father’s untimely passing. So it rests on the shoulders of Islam Makhachev, and he would hope to make the decision to vacate the belt count. Let us know what you think in the comments section below.