A fighter’s decision to make a jump up class often follows a bit of skepticism due to one major issue, which is that they may not be big enough. However, that doesn’t seem to be the story with Islam Makhachev, who vacated the lightweight title as he looks to win a second belt and fight Jack Della Maddalena. We now have a glimpse of the Dagestan native’s welterweight transformation, and fans are loving it.
Jack Della Maddalena really shut down Islam Makhachev’s teammate, Belal Muhammad, at UFC 315. Known for having the same kind of wrestling prowess as most of the Dagestani wrestlers, ‘Remember the Name’ could use his main weapon against the Aussie star, who now wants to fight Makhachev to get revenge for his friend, Alexander Volkanovski.
Well, it seems like that revenge won’t come easily because the soon-to-be lightweight champion is getting on well after moving to 170 pounds. A viral video has been circulating on social media of Islam Makhachev doing some bag work. What impressed the fans was not his workout and skills, but his physique, as the Dagestan native looked bulky and bigger than he usually does.
Islam Makhachev’s arms and shoulders looked a lot thicker and bigger than they normally do, indicating that his transformation has been going pretty well. After coming across the video on Instagram, fans weighed in on the 170-pound Makhachev, suggesting Jack Della Maddalena take notice of his rival. Here’s what they had to say.
Fans predict trouble for Jack Della Maddalena after witnessing a bulkier Islam Makhachev
When fighters get bigger, there’s always this speculation of whether they’ve used any juice or not. But before anyone could point their fingers at Islam Makhachev, one fan deemed him “natty,” insinuating that the soon-to-be UFC champion will never use banned substances. Makhachev has never failed a drug test, anyway. Another UFC enthusiast chimed in, and it seemed like he couldn’t believe that Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s protégé could get as big as he did. As such, he commented, “JDM is COOKED,” advising Jack Della Maddalena to expect the unexpected when they square off inside the Octagon.
Having seen how big Islam Makhachev has really gotten, one fan claims that he’s right up there as “the biggest lightweight” fighter in history. There are quite a few contenders for the label of the biggest light, like Michael Chandler, and who can forget Sage Northcutt? The latter was quite unusual since he was six feet tall. But seeing how Makhachev has changed physically, fans believe that it’s “no wonder he’s moving up.” Maybe his time as a 155-pounder was up, and it was getting hard to make weight because there is a group of fans who remember Makhachev claiming to be around 180-190 pounds when he’s not in camp.
As one fan claimed, “Bro been a WW for 3 days and he’s already noticeably bigger. He always been a WW just killed himself to make 155,” another fan added, “Was already walking around at 185 like he told DJ,” indicating that they are not surprised to see a bigger version of Islam Makhachev. After all, weight cutting is never a fun experience, and cutting down more than a fighter often puts them in troubling situations. Makhachev’s mentor, Khabib, has experienced that issue when he had to be hospitalized as a result of a large weight cut. Even Joe Rogan isn’t that big of a fan when it comes to massive weight cuts, which he deems “insane.”
The 57-year-old has also been vocal about the potential dehydration, organ strain, and long-term health issues that can be caused by massive weight cuts. However, there are still some fans who sense some wrongdoing and use of substances, as an Instagram user commented, “These guys are all on the juice lol.” Well, there have been quite a few fighters from Dagestan who’ve been caught for using PEDs. Some of the most notable ones were Ruslan Magomedov and Zubaira Tukhugov, so maybe fans aren’t wrong when they raise their concerns regarding bulked-up fighters.
Is Islam Makhachev really on juice? Well, he’s been clean throughout his career as an athlete. So, let us know what you think about the change in his physique. Should Jack Della Maddalena be cautious? Drop your comments below.
The post Islam Makhachev’s Bulked-Up Physique Makes Fans Fear for Jack Della Maddalena After 170lbs Move appeared first on EssentiallySports.