Immediately following his decisive victory over Belal Muhammad at UFC 315, Islam Makhachev, the reigning lightweight champion, wasted no time in issuing a strong warning to the newly crowned welterweight king, Jack Della Maddalena.
Makhachev understood that the outcome of Saturday night`s main event would significantly influence his next career move. Della Maddalena`s triumph and subsequent capture of the welterweight title effectively cleared the path for Makhachev to potentially challenge for the 170-pound belt. A close relationship with Muhammad had previously complicated such a move, but with Della Maddalena now holding the championship, Makhachev appears ready to embrace the challenge.
Shortly after UFC 315 concluded, Makhachev took to Twitter, posting:
Time to become a double champion. Let’s go.
Makhachev also reportedly sent a direct message to the new champion. This exchange occurred after Della Maddalena addressed Makhachev from inside the octagon, welcoming a potential fight and specifically mentioning his desire to avenge his friend, Alexander Volkanovski.
It`s worth noting that Volkanovski has fought Makhachev twice before, losing on both occasions. Their second encounter memorably ended with the Dagestani fighter delivering a spectacular head kick knockout.
In his message to Della Maddalena, Makhachev stated:
You are not Volk. I will show you different level. Keep my belt clean.
For his part, Della Maddalena reaffirmed his readiness to face Makhachev in the welterweight division if the UFC decides to schedule the fight.
When asked about Makhachev`s comment instructing him to “keep his belt clean,” Della Maddalena offered his response with a confident smirk.
“Come get it,” Della Maddalena replied. He added, “I think there are a lot of good welterweights. Obviously, I think Islam what he’s done, I think he deserves the shot if he wants to step up. But I guess that’s not my call, it’s up to the UFC.”
Given the immediate verbal sparring between the two champions, it seems highly probable that the UFC will find it straightforward to arrange this highly anticipated cross-divisional matchup sometime later this year.
