Islam Makhachev technically isn’t entering UFC 322 as a champion, but he still feels like one.
On Saturday, Makhachev moves up to 170 pounds to challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight title in the main event of UFC 322. Makhachev vacated his lightweight title earlier this year to move up for this opportunity, and while that means he’s not currently a UFC champion, Makhachev says that’s just a technicality.
Advertisement
“I feel I’m still champion,” Makhachev said at the UFC 322 pre-fight press conference. “I don’t lose my belt to anyone. I’m just coming to get second one.”
Earlier this year, Makhachev set the record for most lightweight title defenses in UFC history with four straight after he stopped Renato Moicano at UFC 311 in January. After that, there were rumors of a superfight with then-featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, but Makhachev wanted his own opportunity to move up and pursue a second belt.
After Della Maddalena beat Makhachev’s friend, Belal Muhammad, to win the welterweight title, that opened the door for him to make the jump — something he’s wanted to do for a long time.
“This is my dream,” Makhachev said. “I’m very close to my dream. All my professional career, when I was lightweight champion, my dream was to become double champion. And two more days.”
Advertisement
Should Makhachev win, he would become only the 11th two-division champion in UFC history (perhaps the 12th, if Zhang Weili defeats Valentina Shevchenko in the UFC 322 co-main event beforehand), and tie Anderson Silva’s record for most consecutive UFC wins at 16.
Those sorts of accolades would put Makhachev into the thick of the greatest of all-time debate, but he’s not focused on that right now.
“Oh, I don’t know, man,” Makhachev said about his place among the best ever. “I’m not thinking about this right now. I’m thinking about the belt. I spent all my life for just to be champion, and now I’m close to that dream right now.”
But to do it, he’s got to beat Della Maddalena, who is unbeaten in 18 straight fights and coming off the best performance of his career. But with a pair of wins over JDM’s friend Alexander Volkanovski, and a win over Volkanovski’s teammate Dan Hooker, Makhachev is brimming with confidence heading into Saturday.
“Australia, it’s a good place,” Makhachev said. “I was there. I like it. Now it’s 3-0, I will make four.”
