Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen recently shared his thoughts on Islam Makhachev’s career shift. After vacating his lightweight title in May 2025, Makhachev moved to welterweight to chase new goals. Sonnen believes Makhachev must fully commit to 170 pounds to succeed against tough opponents like Jack Della Maddalena, warning that holding onto lightweight ambitions could hurt his performance.
Makhachev’s Lightweight Dominance
Islam Makhachev dominated the UFC lightweight division. He won the title in 2022 by submitting Charles Oliveira at UFC 280. Makhachev defended his belt four times, including victories over Alexander Volkanovski in 2023 and Renato Moicano in his final defense at UFC 311 in early 2025. His record-breaking reign ended when he vacated the lightweight title in May 2025 to pursue the welterweight belt. Ilia Topuria also vacated his featherweight title in February 2025 to move to lightweight, where he now faces Charles Oliveira for the vacant 155-pound belt at UFC 317 on June 28, 2025.
Sonnen notes Makhachev’s desire to compete in both divisions.
“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.”
Sonnen points out that only Amanda Nunes successfully held and defended titles in two divisions simultaneously, bantamweight and featherweight, but her situation differed from Makhachev’s.
Makhachev’s Welterweight Test
Makhachev’s move to 170 pounds brings a new challenge in Jack Della Maddalena, a powerful striker. Sonnen emphasizes the difficulty ahead.
“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.”
Sonnen references Volkanovski’s struggles after moving between divisions, losing his lightweight title shot and later his featherweight belt.
Sonnen’s Call for Commitment
Sonnen believes Makhachev’s mindset could hinder his success. By focusing on returning to 155 pounds, Makhachev may not fully adapt to welterweight’s physical demands. Sonnen stresses the need for mental commitment.
“And when you’re playing a game of inches, this only makes this much difference, but that’s the game we’re playing,” Sonnen said.
He highlights that small details matter in the UFC, where fights are often decided by narrow margins.
Sonnen urges Makhachev to let go of lightweight entirely.
“All that has to happen mentally is Islam has to let go, that’s it. To find a new relationship, to be successful in that relationship, all you have to do with your past, you’ve just got to let it go and now you’re available. Now you’re available to find this other great relationship and I think Islam can have that at 170 pounds, but he’s got to commit, mentally he’s got to commit himself to the task fully, and that job is at 170.” via MMAfighting
Sonnen compares this to moving on from a past relationship to fully embrace a new one.
The welterweight division is packed with talent. Kamaru Usman, a former champion, recently returned to form with a unanimous decision victory over Joaquin Buckley at UFC Atlanta on June 14, 2025, ending Buckley’s six-fight win streak and re-entering the title conversation. Other contenders like Leon Edwards, Shavkat Rakhmonov, and Colby Covington make the division highly competitive. Sonnen believes Makhachev has the skills to thrive but needs complete dedication. His lightweight run, with a 15-fight win streak and nine finishes in his last ten bouts, proves his potential. However, welterweight demands a new level of focus.
Sonnen’s advice comes from his experience as a fighter and analyst. He wants Makhachev to avoid the pitfalls that affected Volkanovski. If Makhachev fully commits, he could become a rare two-division champion, joining the likes of Amanda Nunes and Conor McGregor in UFC history.
