Should the middleweight division be on alert due to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev? The Dagestani is just one fight away from nearly clearing out his entire division; he is all set to defend his title for the fourth time next month at UFC 311 against his former rival Arman Tsarukyan. However, that’s not a concern for the team right now. Islam Makhachev has repeatedly expressed his desire to become a two-division champion. With Belal Muhammad reigning at the helm of the welterweight division, Makhachev might turn his focus toward the middleweight division, as revealed by his coach.

While having a conversation with ‘The Schmo’, legendary coach Javier Mendez emphasized that the lightweight champion could easily jump two divisions and go for the middleweight title against Dricus Du Plessis at the middleweight division, “I 100% feel Islam can [move up to Middleweight] if that’s what he wanted to do. But it’s what he wants to do that will happen, not his ability. I mean, his ability, I see it in the gym. I see it, so I know how good this guy is.”

He further added, “So, 185 lbs is not going to be an issue for him…when he walks into training camp, he’s usually walking around at 179-180 lbs. If he were to ever go to 185, he’d have to put on some muscle. I’m not saying he won’t or can’t or doesn’t want to; we’ve never discussed it. We have discussed Welterweight, but again, as long as Belal is there, I don’t see it happening.”

Jumping two divisions to fight at the middleweight division is a hefty task when you consider that the 185 lbs division is filled with monsters such as Paulo Costa, Khamzat Chimaev, Robert Whittaker, Israel Adesanya, Dricus Du Plessis, and many more. Islam Makhachev might have been dominant against the lightweights but any true middleweight will test his caliber.

However, Javier Mendez has full trust in his pupil as he even stated that Makhachev has what it takes to become the first three-division champion as well, “I would say yeah, he has the potential for the trifecta- definitely, 100%. He has the ability, mindset, and work ethic. He can definitely do that if that’s his desire and the UFC allows him to go there. So, yes, I can see that happening.” This back-and-forth by the coach has found its way to the MMA community who gave a reality check to Team Khabib.

Javier Mendez’s middleweight call for Islam Makhachev brutally criticized by fans

Islam Makhachev is an all-round fighter, but he specifically employs wrestling and his size to keep his opponents down. However, this might not be enough to take down wrestling heavy fighters such as Khamzat Chimaev and Bo Nickal, who have every counter to Makhachev’s weapons. Looking at this, a fan wrote, “Maybe Javier forgot Khamzat and Bo Nickal are in the 185 lb division.”

Islam Makhachev could perform well in the welterweight division, considering that 170 lbs is his natural weight limit. However, as long as Belal Muhammad remains the champion, Makhachev is unlikely to move to the welterweight division. Khabib Nurmagomedov recently admitted it would be hard to prepare his pupil to fight Muhammad. If Shavkat Rakhmonov manages to capture the title, we could witness a super fight between the two champions in the latter half of next year. A social media user highlighted this, “The super fight to make will be Islam vs. Shavkat if both win their next fights and have the belts. October in the UAE seems like the right time.”

The initial Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski was a pretty close fight where ‘The Great’ nearly defeated the Dagestani to become the double champ. However, Makhachev later took revenge by knocking them out in their second endeavor. Regardless, a fan showcased a reality check to the lightweight champ, “The former 145 champ almost took his belt, so kind of bold to say it won’t be an issue.”

Furthermore, a fan has a different analogy, “If Islam beats Arman again then he will likely be on the sidelines anyways because of Ramadhan etc, so he should just wait & see what happens with Belal & Shavkat. If Shavkat wins then he should definitely move up if hes guaranteed a title shot. Moving up to 185 is a bit too much”

Islam Makhachev was struggling against Alexander Volkanovski in their initial clash and against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302, so it’s just quite shocking to witness him fight against any true middleweight, who is much bigger than him. Looking at this a fan wrote, “They keep talking about 185 lol. Size matters but I wanna see it. This guy was struggling to take down Poirier and Volk.” Last but not least, a social media user showcased reality to the Dagestani fighter, “He’s good, but he’s not going to stroll through 185 and take the title. This is just delusion, not reality!”

Well, there is no doubt that Islam Makhachev is one of the greatest fighters to have ever stepped inside the Octagon, but he might struggle in the middleweight division due to his height and reach. Regardless, what’s your opinion on Coach Javier Mendez’s words? State your thoughts in the comments below.