UFC’s 2026 Plan for Khamzat Chimaev vs Islam Makhachev Intensifies With Coach’s Verdict

“I think Islam is a welterweight; he’s already big. He just kills himself to make weight, and every time he makes weight, he looks horrible. After the weigh-in, he’s big again.” Not too long ago, Gilbert Burns took aim at Islam Makhachev, criticizing his extreme weight cuts at 155 pounds. That chapter now appears to be closing. With UFC 322 just over two and a half months away, anticipation is surging as Madison Square Garden prepares to host Islam Makhachev’s welterweight debut against Jack Della Maddalena, a headline clash set to pit wrestling dominance against striking power.

Makhachev, the protégé of Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov and longtime teammate of Khabib Nurmagomedov, has built his reputation on relentless pressure and grappling control. On the other side, Jack Della Maddalena brings knockout firepower, fresh off dethroning former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad, who occasionally trained with Makhachev. Now, with Craig Jones in his corner, JDM looks to spoil Islam Makhachev’s rise. So if Islam Makhachev wins against JDM, would Islam Makhachev fight Khamzat Chimaev? It seems they might, or would they?

Islam Makhachev Is Not the Next Khabib, but His Own Champion

In a recent interview with Denis Shkuratov of Submission Radio, coach Javier Mendez was asked about the possibility of Islam Makhachev facing Khamzat Chimaev in the future. The host pointed out that Chimaev, before his middleweight title win, had mentioned wanting to return to welterweight and potentially face JDM, or Makhachev if he becomes champion. Mendez, however, downplayed the talk. “I don’t know. I don’t give much thought to that because it hasn’t happened…For us, let us get by JDM first before we can do any talking like that…JDM is to be respected,” he said.

The host pushed the idea further, suggesting that maybe Islam Makhachev could even chase middleweight gold one day. Mendez admitted he wasn’t sure if that was realistic for his fighter. “The guy I thought they could have done it easily was Khabib. With Islam, I am not sure. And I am not sure what Islam wants either,” Mendez explained, noting that while The Eagle had the ability to pursue multiple divisions, he didn’t want to, and with the 27-1 fighter, it’s still uncertain.

Mendez did reveal that Islam Makhachev has expressed interest in certain legacy fights, such as moving up to welterweight, but stressed that nothing concrete has been decided. “I know Islam wanted the welterweight fight for a legacy fight. So I know that. Once I can talk to him more at length, if things go well for us, how and what he would want to do, then I can see,” he added. For now, Mendez made it clear the only focus is Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322.

Interestingly, just last month Islam Makhachev himself dismissed speculation about fighting Chimaev, saying, “I don’t want to open the door to any kind of conflict between our people,” he said. That leaves fans wondering what comes after UFC 322. If Islam Makhachev defeats JDM, will he consider dropping back down in weight? Could a fight with featherweight champion Ilia Topuria be next?

Islam Makhachev Must Defend Before He Jumps Divisions

When asked about the possibility of Islam Makhachev fighting Ilia Topuria, Javier Mendez explained that his preference would be for Islam to first establish himself at welterweight. “What I think is, he defends the title at welterweight and see how he feels there… I think he needs to stay at welterweight and defend it a few times to become even more respected,” Mendez said. He added that if Topuria continues to succeed, then a matchup between the two could make sense down the line.

The host followed up by asking whether that fight should happen at lightweight or welterweight. Mendez left it open-ended, saying it ultimately depends on Islam Makhachev and the UFC. “Whatever Islam wants, whatever the UFC wants… but I would like to see that fight to be honest with you, because too much has been built up on it and Topuria passed the test,” he said, while reminding that none of it matters unless Islam Makhachev first gets past Jack Della Maddalena.

With that, it seems nothing will be certain until Islam Makhachev gets through Jack Della Maddalena first. A win could open major doors for the 33-year-old, possibly even putting him on the path to becoming a three-division champion. But what do you think? Can Jack Della Maddalena overcome Islam Makhchev and keep his undefeated record against the dangerous Dagestan fighter?