Islam Makhachev, the UFC lightweight king, declared he will retain his 155-pound crown no matter the result of UFC 315’s welterweight showdown. The event, set for May 10, 2025, at Bell Centre in Montreal,

UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev said he will not vacate the title if he moves up to welterweight. Saturday’s main event at UFC 315 features current welterweight champion Belal Muhammad looking to defend his title against Jack Della Maddalena.

Islam Makhachev defending his lightweight title against Ilia Topuria would be a huge fight but it’s clear that one side of the matchup is more keen on the idea than the other. Having already recorded wins over a featherweight champion on two occasions, it makes sense why Makhachev and his team might be more interested in exploring other paths.