Making his long-mooted welterweight bow this weekend at UFC 322, Islam Makhachev is tasked with snapping a more-than-lengthy streak dating back 20 years.
Leaving the lightweight championship behind in the summertime, former pound-for-pound primary Islam Makhachev boasts a spectacular record within the division, racking up probably the most title defenses.
Tackling newly minted champion Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 in his bid to affix an exclusive list of dual-weight champions in promotional history, Makhachev has a goal in common with a former lightweight champion, too.
Nevertheless, as a way to join that Hall of Famer, Makhachev may have to interrupt a streak dating all the best way back to 2004.
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B.J. Penn is the last lightweight champion to win welterweight gold
Initially winning welterweight gold in 2004 with a memorable submission win over Matt Hughes in his divisional bow, B.J. Penn would then move back to lightweight to attain championship spoils.
Fighting to a draw with Caol Uno the 12 months prior in his bid to capture the lightweight crown, it might take the Hawaiian 4 years to win a title with an iconic win over Joe Stevenson in a rare trip to the UK.
Having fun with a mixed bag of success on the welterweight limit within the Octagon, Penn would suffer losses to Georges St-Pierre after which a rematch defeat to Matt Hughes, before one other defeat to St-Pierre and a rubber match success against Hughes again.
Marking the last occasion by which a former lightweight champion made good on a welterweight move to grab gold, Makhachev can grow to be the primary in promotional history to win spoils at 170lbs in his debut after previously holding the championship a division lighter.
Nevertheless, as a way to achieve this, he must put to bed a 21-year record.
Islam Makhachev’s only history with a welterweight star
Over the course of his lightweight run, Makhachev only fought against a welterweight challenger on one single occasion.
Besting his fellow 155lb stars in addition to a number of former featherweight talents, in 2018, Makhachev was pitted against Brazilian veteran Gleison Tibau.
And needing just 57 seconds to stop the longer term welterweight star, Makhachev scored an emphatic knockout win at UFC 220 in Boston.
Ahead of his fight with Della Maddalena, Makhachev will embark on an uncharted course, along with his only experience against a welterweight coming in his win over Tibau.