“Time to become a double champion #inshaAllah Let’s go,” Islam Makhachev posted on X shortly after Jack Della Maddalena made pulp of Belal Muhammad in the UFC 315 main event. But the chance to chase his dream didn’t come without sacrificing his lightweight belt. Still, the Dagestani juggernaut’s move faced criticism when he announced his decision to jump to welterweight, mostly facing accusations for dodging Ilia Topuria.
“El Matador” was always considered the biggest threat to the soon-to-be lightweight champ. After all, he took out two generational greats—Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, which quickly sparked the question: what if he does the same to arguably the second-best lightweight champ after Khabib? That was the main hype heading into International Fight Week. However, Islam’s decision has now put Charles Oliveira across from the Georgian-Spaniard at UFC 317.
As it’s slowly sinking in that the ‘JDM’ fight is also a superfight, the hype behind it is steadily building. But that hasn’t stopped the lingering question for Makhachev: why dodge Ilia Topuria? Many believe the fight against the newly crowned welterweight champ is somehow an easier path than facing the former 145 king. A theory that Arman Tsarukyan completely disagrees with.
Championship Rounds posted an interview, where Tsarukyan was asked the same question. Which he answered, “I see Islam as the favorite, because of the wrestling, control, and chokes. Islam, I think he has a much better wrestling game, and he can easily take down. No, I don’t agree, it’s going to be a tough fight for sure. Maddalena would be harder for Islam than Topuria fight.”
Arman Tsarukyan doesn’t agree with people saying Islam Makhachev moved up to avoid fighting Ilia Topuria:
“[Jack] is going to be a tough fight too. Maddalena would be harder for Islam than the Topuria fight.”
@babadzhanov07 #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/XJZMjNmJzM
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 1, 2025
Well, Ilia and ‘JDM’ bring very different kinds of threats to Islam. While ‘El Matador’ still has to prove he can carry the same power and danger at lightweight, the Aussie has already shown he’s a battle-tested machine at 170. Even so, the reigning 155-pound champ still appears to have the edge in overall skill. That said, one prime welterweight contender believes he’ll be an even bigger problem for the Dagestani—if they ever cross paths inside the Octagon.
Joaquin Buckley thinks he’s going to be a nightmare match-up for Islam Makhachev
If there’s ever been a surprise transformation in a fighter, it has to be Joaquin Buckley. ‘New Mansa’ has looked like a completely different beast at welterweight compared to his middleweight run. Fresh off a stellar win over Colby Covington at UFC Tampa, he’s now set to face former 170-pound champ Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC Atlanta.
Islam Makhachev’s move up has already shaken up the welterweight division. But Joaquin Buckley believes a matchup against him would be nothing short of a nightmare for the lightweight champ. He carries an indomitable belief that if Jack Della Maddalena can’t get it done, he can. And he’s confident he’s got the skills to put Makhachev down.
Buckley said on an Inside Fighting interview, “Even though me and Islam have never had a connection, I’ll tell you right now, he’s going to know a lot about me if we ever get booked to fight. The people he has struggled with and the people that have shown a couple of holes in his game, I’m going to be his worst nightmare, not JDM [Maddalena]. JDM has a lot of holes that Islam can exploit.”
Although Buckley looked impressive against Colby Covington, his real test will be against Kamaru Usman. If he manages to get past the former champ, then it’s fair to say he’ll be a serious threat to someone like Makhachev, who brings next-level grappling to the table.
That being said, who do you think should be next if Islam Makhachev gets past Jack Della Maddalena down the line? Could Joaquin Buckley be a real problem, or is Shavkat Rakhmonov the bigger threat? Drop your thoughts in the comment box below!
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