Ali Abdel-Aziz, manager of UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, recently clarified the reasons behind his client`s consideration of moving up to the welterweight division.
Abdel-Aziz stated, “I believe Islam will perform even better at welterweight than he does at lightweight. He`ll be in a better state mentally and physically, allowing him to train more intensely. While someone like Topuria moved up from featherweight early due to weight cut problems, Makhachev doesn`t struggle with his lightweight cut. Islam is simply aiming for greater achievements.”
He continued, “Although I personally dislike Conor McGregor, at his peak he was a true star. Islam would have remained at lightweight for a fight against him. However, Topuria isn`t a superstar of that caliber. Islam needs to progress and strive to become a two-division champion. I genuinely hope Ilya (Topuria) achieves the same. After that, who can say what the future holds?” Abdel-Aziz shared these thoughts during an interview with ESPN.
