“Money? I have money I don’t need (Money). I need the second belt.” Spoken like a true king, right? That’s Islam Makhachev making it clear that gold, not green, is what truly matters to him. The Dagestani juggernaut is eying a generation-defining legacy. A two-division champion stamp that even his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov couldn’t achieve. And why not? With four successful title defenses at 155lbs, this kingpin has dominated his division, cleaned out top contenders, and left the UFC scrambling to find fresh challenges. So, what’s next? A move to welterweight, of course!

But if Makhachev, the current pound-for-pound king, makes the leap, does he get an immediate title shot? Should he? And more importantly, is the reigning welterweight champ, Belal Muhammad, ready for him? Well, according to former title challenger and analyst Dan Hardy, it’s not the Palestinian-American that Makhachev should be worried about. Enter the man Belal decimated to win the gold! “Yeah, I would pick Islam over Belal,” Hardy said on Submission Radio.

“There are very few welterweights (who could give Islam problems). Leon Edwards, I think, would be a hell of a fight for Makhachev. Because his game is like he’s kinda like the antithesis, right? He can play on the outside, he can set traps and walk you onto things, and he’s got excellent takedown defense as well. People really you know, have really started to realize how good Leon’s takedown defense is. That’s the kind of skillset that you would need to be problematic for Makhachev.”

But that’s not all. Hardy also pointed out a key physical advantage Leon Edwards holds. His reach! “As well as the fact that Leon’s got such long limbs as well for his weight. Again, a problem that Makhachev is potentially not going to find himself up against at lightweight because of his size in the division.” That reach makes Edwards a uniquely dangerous test for the ruling Dagestani. And that’s where things get even more interesting. Because if you ask Muhammad, he’d rather not fight Makhachev at all.

See, Muhammad and Makhachev go way back. They’ve trained together, they’ve bled together, and as Muhammad himself put it, “I would never fight Islam because that’s different for me and him… It wouldn’t be about the money for me or for him.” Even Khabib Nurmagomedov chimed in, admitting his heart couldn’t handle watching them fight. But let’s be real, history does say otherwise. How many times have we seen so-called ‘brotherhoods’ in MMA dissolve the second a shiny belt enters the conversation? Jon Jones & Rashad Evans, Cody Garbrandt & TJ Dillashaw, and Kamaru Usman & Gilbert Burns! You name it and history proves it!

And even if Muhammad holds his ground, does that mean Makhachev just gets a free pass to the title? Or does the belt automatically revert to the ex-champ just so Makhachev can have his moment? Or is this going to be a drawn-out process? According to Muhammad, it’s the latter. At least three years, to be exact.

Will Leon Edwards get the opportunity to reclaim his throne anytime soon?

Leon Edwards believed one more win would secure his shot at reclaiming the welterweight crown. But Belal Muhammad had other ideas. Ahead of his fight with Sean Brady at UFC London, Edwards confidently stated, “I spoke to the UFC, they told me that after this win, this is a No. 1 contender fight.” But Muhammad wasn’t having it. With a smirk, he dismissed the notion on social media, “Someone tell him he got three long years ahead of him.”

A joke? Maybe. But also maybe not. Let’s not forget, that these two already have history. Their first fight at UFC Fight Night 187 in 2021 ended in controversy after an accidental eye poke led to a no-contest. Since then, ‘Rocky’ rocketed to the top and became champion, while Muhammad stayed on the grind, picking off contenders one fight at a time. Now, as champion, ‘Bully B’ is setting the pace, and let’s just say he’s in no rush. And with Shavkat Rakhmonov sidelined, he’s now set to defend against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315. If he wins, he’ll likely face ‘Nomad’ next, leaving Edwards on ice for a while.

This begs the question, if the champ won’t fight the Dagestani wrecking ball and Edwards is stuck waiting, could the UFC just cut through the red tape and make Makhachev vs. Edwards happen? After all, this isn’t some far-fetched fantasy. The champ vs. champ fight was already on the table for UFC 300, but the Dagestani had to turn it down due to Ramadan.

Edwards, on the other hand, played it cool, welcoming the idea but insisting they both had “work to do” first. Well, fast forward to now, and guess what? Makhachev has wiped out his division, and Edwards isn’t even holding the belt anymore. So, what exactly are we waiting for? Hardy isn’t the only one who sees Edwards as the perfect foil to Makhachev’s relentless grappling. The guy’s got the reach, the takedown defense, and a knack for making elite wrestlers look silly.

If the Dagestani wants to cement his status as a two-division great, why waste time with the slow-moving Belal saga when Edwards is right there, ready for the challenge? So, what do you think? Should Islam Makhachev get a straight shot at the welterweight title? Will Belal Muhammad hold firm on never fighting him? And does Leon Edwards actually have to sit on the sidelines for three whole years before he gets another crack? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!