Paddy Pimblett expects UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev's move up to welterweight to heavily impact what's next for him.

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.

Former UFC champ shuts down rumors of Islam Makhachev wishing Belal Muhammad to lose, clarifying his true stance and intentions.

Ahead of his imminent move up to welterweight, Islam Makhachev's plan to defend two UFC belts has been questioned by UFC legend, Chael Sonnen.

Islam Makhachev holds the No. 1 spot in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings — and with good reason. His most recent win, at UFC 311 over Renato Moicano, made him the all-time leader in lightweight title defenses.

Jon Jones and Nate Diaz believe Islam Makhachev is still new to the sport and needs more title fights to be fully proven.

In his incredible career, Islam Makhachev has accumulated wins over three men that have held UFC gold in the past. He defeated Charles Oliveira, Alexander Volkanovski and Dustin Poirier in consecutive fights to earn the biggest wins on his record thus far.

UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev finds himself embroiled in controversy following Jack Della Maddalena’s upset victory over Belal Muhammad at UFC 315. His interest in moving up to welterweight was not a secret.