Kazakhstan MMA fighter Artem Reznikov (25-8) shared his thoughts on the potential move of Islam Makhachev (27-1) to the welterweight division of UFC, where Shavkat Rakhmonov (19-0) may become champion in the coming months, as reported by Sports.kz, referencing Meta-ratings.kz.
“Can Islam move to the 77 kg category after his victory over Moicano? As long as Muhammad is there, he won’t do it because they train together. We understand that the members of Khabib's team do not fight each other. However, if Belal loses to Shavkat, Makhachev will immediately try to take the title in that weight class,” Reznikov said in an interview with the YouTube channel “Sport24: Culture of Fighting”.
Recall that at UFC 311, 33-year-old Islam Makhachev defended his championship title again by choking Renato Moicano in the very first round. As for Shavkat Rakhmonov, he is soon expected to compete for the title against Belal Muhammad.