‘Fight Shavkat Rakhmonov’: Daniel Cormier Highlights What Islam Makhachev Must Learn from Roy Jones to Stay Exciting

Islam Makhachev may be dominating the lightweight division, but UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier believes it’s time for the reigning champion to take a page out of Roy Jones Jr.’s book and elevate his legacy by moving up in weight. Cormier believes since Islam has now solidified himself as a lightweight stalwart, it is time for him to take the next step and become a legend.

Despite Islam still wanting to stay at 155 lbs and defend the title a few more times, DC advises that it’s what he will need to do if he wants to be truly remembered as a great of the sport.

“There were so many different things [Roy Jones Jr.] had to do to become the Roy Jones Jr. of today. Islam will have to do that—go up, fight a [Shavkat] Rakhmonov, fight somebody at 170. Now it’s about building a legacy.”

Cormier’s comparison to the boxing legend draws on a pivotal moment in Jones’ career. After suffering a loss, Jones not only bounced back but also moved up to heavyweight, capturing a title and solidifying his place in history.

For Makhachev, the situation might be slightly different. He has cleared out the lightweight division of legitimate contenders but Jones’ path of reinvention could help him avoid the potential pitfalls of prolonged dominance, where fans grow weary of seeing a fighter win without fresh challenges.

Rakhmonov, the #1 contender at welterweight, presents a tantalizing option. Undefeated and known for his well-rounded skill set, Rakhmonov is a fighter who could push Makhachev to his limits. A clash between the two would not only test Islam’s abilities in a new weight class but also set the stage for a legacy-defining moment.

With Islam’s skill set, moving to welterweight seems like a natural progression. He himself has claimed wanting to win another title before calling it a day.

However, Makhachev also wants to take it a step further and achieve that goal in another weight class as well.

Islam wants to be a 3-division champion

During UFC 311 Media Day, Makhachev addressed the idea of facing either Rakhmonov or Belal Muhammad, revealing that his personal connection to both fighters would prevent him from stepping into the octagon with them.

“I know both guys. These are not the fights I would like…Both are world-class fighters… they’re going to have a good fight that I’m interested to see.”

While this rules out a welterweight title shot for now, it doesn’t mean Makhachev is shutting the door on moving up in weight entirely. If Belal moves up to middleweight, Islam could very well make the transition to 170 lbs. It will only mean a smaller weight cut for him, something he would surely enjoy.

The real challenge for him will be to move up to 185 lbs i.e., the middleweight division, and challenge bigger fighters like Khamzat Chimaev and champion Dricus Du Plessis. When asked about it at the post-fight presser at UFC 311, Makhachev asserted that if he were given the chance, and Dana White sent him a contract, he would fight Du Plessis for the title.

However, he ruled out any chances of going up to light heavyweight and fighting Alex Pereira, joking that it would be too much and he would need DC’s diet plan to make that weight.