Javier Mendez, longtime coach of UFC lightweight king Islam Makhachev, sees greatness on the horizon for his star pupil. So much so that he believes Makhachev has what it takes to become the first-ever 3-division champion in UFC history.
In an interview with The Schmo on YouTube, Mendez shared his confidence in Makhachev’s ability to achieve this unprecedented feat.
“I would say yeah, he has the potential to definitely trifecta, definitely, 100%. He can definitely do that if that’s his desire and the UFC lets him go there. So yes, I can see that happening.”
While Mendez is optimistic about Makhachev’s chances, he also pointed out a key consideration, Islam won’t make the jump to welterweight while Belal Muhammad holds the title.
Still, the prospect of Makhachev climbing the ranks and conquering multiple divisions is rather exciting. Already dominating at lightweight, Islam has shown he possesses not only the skills but also the mindset to tackle challenges in heavier weight classes.
As Mendez put it, the journey toward becoming a 3-division champion hinges on more than just Makhachev’s talent. It will also require the UFC’s willingness to let him chase that historic goal. At some point earlier this year, light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira moving up to heavyweight for that 3rd title was also spoken about but the UFC shut it down real quick.
And now with Ilia Topuria wanting to move to lightweight, Makhachev has yet more title defenses to come. So even a move to a second division seems rather unlikely at this point.
However, Mendez even sees Makhachev moving all the way up to Middleweight and win titles there if he wants to.
185 lbs is no problem for Makhachev
Mendez isn’t just confident about Islam Makhachev becoming a 3-division champion—he thinks the lightweight phenom could go as high as middleweight and still hold his own. Speaking on the Dagestani champion’s potential, Mendez said,
“I 100% feel Islam can [be the 185 champion] if that’s what he wanted to do. I see it in the gym, I know how good this guy is. 185 is not gonna be an issue for him. It’s a matter of whether he wants to.”
Islam Makhachev’s coach, Javier Mendez, believes Islam could move up to 185 and become the middleweight champion
“I see it in the gym, I know how good this guy is. 185 is not gonna be an issue for him.”
(via. @TheSchmo312) #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/uiGZmP42jd
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 24, 2024
The idea of a fighter competing three weight classes above their original division is almost unheard of in the UFC, making Mendez’s confidence in Makhachev all the more impressive. However, this could just be faith and that doesn’t mean much in mixed martial arts.
If Islam had trouble keeping Dustin Poirier down at 155, fighters like Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev could cause him some ‘big’ problems if he ever makes the journey.
