Daniel Cormier cautions Islam Makhachev about two-division UFC title reign

Islam Makhachev has ambitions to reign over two UFC weight classes at once. His long-time friend and training partner Daniel Cormier is urging him to be cautious as he pursues this goal.

Makhachev is already the UFC lightweight champion. He won the division’s coveted belt with a submission win over Charles Oliveira in 2022, and has since defended it four times. His first two defenses came against featherweight legend Alexander Volkanovski. Since then, he has defended the belt with finishes of Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano.

Makhachev definitely still has some interesting challenges at 155 pounds, namely Ilia Topuria. However, after all his success in the division, he’s eyeing the welterweight title.

The welterweight division’s title was previously held by Makhachev’s friend Belal Muhammad. However, Muhammad surrendered the belt to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 last Saturday, which cleared the way for Makhachev to move up and challenge for another title.

In the wake of UFC 315, Makhachev has made it very clear that is what he intends to do next. However, he has also made it clear that he doesn’t plan on vacating the lightweight belt as he pursues welterweight gold. Instead, he aims to actively defend the belts in both weight classes.

Cormier, a former two-division champion who is now retired from fighting and working as a UFC analyst, isn’t sure that’s the right move.

Daniel Cormier warns Islam Makhachev that his plan will be ‘difficult’

“Makhachev is open to bouncing [between 155 and 170 pounds],” Cormier said in a video on his YouTube channel (via MMA Mania). “We have not seen anyone do this but Amanda Nunes — go up to 145, beat fighters like Megan Anderson and those girls, then go down to 135 and do what she did as the bantamweight champion.

“It seems like Makhachev thinks he can do the same thing,” Cormier added. “That’s difficult. That’s hard, especially once you get that belt at the next weight class. ‘Why do I have to cut the weight when I’m the champion here?’ It’s a very, very hard thing.”