Dustin Poirier questions Islam Makhachev’s lightweight future

UFC legend Dustin Poirier has given his thoughts on the lightweight future of former champion Islam Makhachev.

Later this year, Islam Makhachev will challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the UFC welterweight championship. If he’s able to pick up the win, he will join a rare group of fighters who have been able to capture world titles in two weight classes in the UFC.

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While there’s a lot of pressure on his shoulders, Makhachev has already written his name into the history books. He is one of the best fighters of his generation, and some would argue that he’s one of the best of all time. He forged that legacy courtesy of his amazing run at lightweight, which included him reigning supreme as champion.

In a recent interview, Dustin Poirier gave his thoughts on the future of Islam Makhachev.

Poirier’s view on Makhachev’s lightweight future

“It’s going to depend on whether he wins or loses, but it’s not easy to put on the weight – he’s already a very solid lightweight fighter,” Poirier told MMA Junkie of Makhachev. “To have the freedom to bulk up and put on more muscle and fill out your frame the way your body wants to be, to go back down to 155, it’s going to take some time, I think, to really be at a calorie deficiency and lose some of the muscle he’s putting on.

“I know for a fact he doesn’t make 155 easy, so now it’s going to be even tougher. He could be completely done at lightweight. It might be too hard for his body to get back down and compete at that level because he’s not a small guy at all.”

“I think when we see him there across from another welterweight, he’s going to feel the part,” Poirier said. “He’s going to look like a welterweight fighter. He’s a big guy, and I’m excited about that fight. If JDM’s takedown defense holds up, and he makes Islam have to be in front of him, it could be a long night. But that’s so much easier said than done when these guys are on your body and on your legs.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie