Russian UFC fighter Islam Makhachev, who competes in the welterweight division, has announced that he will continue his career in this weight class and has no intention of returning to lightweight.
Idman.Biz reports that Makhachev said this while talking about a possible fight with Ilia Topuria.
"I already had a belt in the lightweight division, no one had defeated me. I just left the belt and moved up. It is not interesting for me to go down for the belt. On the contrary, he can move up, because he has nothing to lose. If he loses, he will come back and defend his belt in the lightweight division again," Makhachev said.
The fighter added that the main reason is that he is tired of the weight-cutting process.
"I'm tired of cutting weight and have already gained weight. It will be very difficult to go down again. I'm not young anymore, it's difficult to cut weight all the time. I will most likely finish my career in the weight category up to 77 kg," the UFC fighter emphasized.
Thus, Makhachev's statement fully clarifies his future plans: he will remain in the welterweight division regardless of the belt and will spend the final stage of his career in this category.