Makhachev further etched his name in the MMA history books last Saturday. He defeated Jack Della Maddalena at Madison Square Garden in New York City to become the new UFC Welterweight Championship. Makhachev not only won a second UFC title, but he also swept the scorecards.
Speaking to media members during UFC 322’s post-fight press conference, White was non-committal about Makhachev’s next foe (h/t MMA Junkie).
“I don’t know yet. The great thing you just laid out is obviously we have a lot of options, and it depends on what he wants to do,” White said. “Does he want to stay at 170? Is he interested in 155? I don’t know any of those answers.”
White admitted he thought Maddalena would make the fight much closer than it was, but he thinks it’s a credit to Makhachev’s elite skills and fight IQ.
“The oddsmakers had (Della Maddalena) a big underdog, but I didn’t,” White said. “I thought that fight would be much, much tougher for Islam. Jack is a tough guy, a tough guy. He defeated Belal (Mohammed), and Belal is a nightmare for a lot of people. I thought it was going to be a lot closer than it was. Islam has no intention of dominating him.”
Makhachev certainly has no shortage of options. His team has been trying to meet Kamaru Usman. Michael Morales recently made a case for the No. 1 contender at welterweight by defeating Sean Brady. You can’t rule out UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria either.
For now, Makhachev will be able to enjoy the fruits of his labor after becoming the new welterweight king. Stay tuned to BJPenn.com for the latest updates on what’s next for Islam Makhachev in the coming months.
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