Islam Makhachev warned by UFC legend to avoid costly mistake: ‘It only gets harder’

One UFC icon hopes Islam Makhachev can avoid making a big mistake.

Makhachev will officially relinquish the UFC Lightweight Championship once the vacant title fight between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira begins. Topuria vs. Oliveira will headline UFC 317 in Las Vegas on June 28. As for Makhachev, he will be challenging UFC Welterweight Champion Jack Della Maddalena at a date to be determined.

As the soon-to-be former 155-pound king gears up for a move to welterweight, a popular UFC Fight Wing Hall of Famer has a major concern.

RELATED: DANIEL CORMIER QUESTIONS ISLAM MAKHACHEV POSSIBLY LEAVING MMA AFTER THREE MORE FIGHTS

Islam Makhachev Should Stick With Welterweight, Says Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen hopped on his YouTube channel recently, and he admitted that he doesn’t like the idea of Islam Makhachev potentially splitting his time between welterweight and lightweight (via MMAFighting).

“Islam is continuing to speak to the idea that he never wanted to be stripped at 155,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “He wanted to be able to do both. That if he wanted 170, he wasn’t then going to relinquish 155. He was going to defend. This was his idea was to go back and forth, we’ve only seen that happen one time, that was with Amanda Nunes. That scenario was very different.

“But I just share for you Islam’s still clinging to that. He’s still pushing that narrative. ‘I’m the guy. I never lost. That’s my division. That’s my belt. I’ve got no problem with Ilia. Ilia needs to do one thing well at 155 and then I’ll see him. And it can be anything.’ Islam’s story has never changed, but his circumstance has and I want him to embrace that because Jack is a hard fight. Jack’s a really hard fight and if you get through Jack, it only gets harder. And if Islam does have this idea of ‘I can go back to ‘55, I’m safe at ‘55, I was dominant at ‘55,’ if he doesn’t let his body grow, if he doesn’t enjoy the fruits of his labor, enjoy the fact that he can have more calories when he’s training. If he doesn’t enjoy that because he’s living the lifestyle and and keeping his eye on being within striking distance to get back to 155, he’s going to put himself inadvertently in the same spot that Volkanovski was in.”

Much has been made over the future of Makhachev. Head coach Javier Mendez has said he wouldn’t be surprised if Makhachev wraps up his prizefighting career after three more bouts. UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier has said that it would be a huge blow to MMA if Makhachev will indeed hang up his gloves in that short window.