The Islam Makhachev next fight has been confirmed against Jack Della Maddalena for the UFC Welterweight Title before the end of the year.
An official date and venue is yet to be confirmed, but Makhachev’s next fight will be his 170-pound debut against the new welterweight champion in a UFC pay-per-view main event.
Islam Makhachev Next Fight: P4P Star Faces Jack Della Maddalena For UFC Welterweight Title
It’s fair to say that Islam Makhachev is one of the most dominant fighters on the entire UFC roster right now. The Dagestani fighter has held the UFC Lightweight Title since October 2022, beating all of the best 155-pound fighters in the process.
After clearing out the lightweight division, Makhachev is now making the move up to welterweight in an attempt to become a two-division UFC champion.
As the current pound-for-pound #1, the 33-year-old has been granted a UFC Welterweight Title shot straight away. After Jack Della Maddalena’s victory over Belal Muhammad at UFC 315, this confirmed Makhachev’s move up to 170-pounds.
This means he has officially vacated his lightweight belt too in favor of a move up. UFC President Dana White has officially confirmed that Islam Makhachev’s next fight will indeed be against ‘JDM’ for the welterweight belt before the end of the year.
Time to become a double champion #inshaAllah Let’s go
— Makhachev Islam (@MAKHACHEVMMA) May 11, 2025
A date and venue is yet to be confirmed, but Della Maddalena vs Makhachev will headline a huge UFC pay-per-view card before the end of the year. September or October seems likely for the bout at either UFC 320 or UFC 321.
The Islam Makhachev next fight is one he’ll be favorite in with MMA sportsbooks, but it will be far from easy. Jack Della Maddalena looked sensational against Belal Muhammad in winning the belt, so the Dagestani fighter will have to be on his A-game if he is to become a two-weight UFC champion.
All eyes will be on Islam Makhachev’s next fight as he aims to further solidify himself as the #1 p4p king of the UFC. Can he add his name into the history books as a two-division UFC champion?
🚨 Dana White confirms that Islam Makhachev will vacate the lightweight title and move up to 170lbs to face Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight title 🏆
Location and date TBC 👀 pic.twitter.com/zAkBxKZsgE
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) May 13, 2025
Who Will Islam Makhachev Fight After ‘JDM’ Clash?
Provided the Islam Makhachev next fight results in victory, there could be some more mammoth bouts planned for the pound-for-pound king.
Should he win the UFC Welterweight Title in his next fight against Jack Della Maddalena, the likelihood is that Makhachev will want to defend the 170-pound belt a few ties to solidify himself as the best fighter in the division.
The likes of Shavkat Rakhmonov, Sean Brady, Ian Machado Garry and Kamaru Usman could be in line for a shot at the belt next. Of these names, Rakhmonov is certainly next in line and will almost definitely be Makhachev’s next fight after ‘JDM’ if he is to become champion.
After that, it seems that Makhachev could make his way through the welterweight division, beating all comers and entirely wiping out a second weight class. If he does that, and Ilia Topuria continues to do the same at 155-pounds, the pair could end up meeting down the line in an epic super-fight.
Topuria and Makhachev have been going back and forth on social media, with a fight almost inevitable at some stage between the pair. However, Makhachev’s move to welterweight means Topuria would have to step up another weight class after already moving up from featherweight to lightweight.
The fight could happen down the line, but it is a long way away yet and might not ever happen. One thing is for certain – Makhachev has plenty of options going forward for his next fight after the Jack Della Maddalena showdown.
First though, Islam Makhachev’s next fight must result in victory against ‘JDM’ before he can even ponder potential mega-fights in 2026 and beyond.
