![\"Islam](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-2194651876-1-1024x728.jpg\")
Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n
But Maddalena has already warned Makhachev he is too small<\/a> to even compete with him over the five-round championship distance.<\/p>\n Islam Makhachev looks \u2018bigger\u2019 than before ahead of rumoured Jack Della Maddalena fight, says Luke Rockhold<\/p>\n Former training partner and UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold provided his opinion on the fight in a recent interview.<\/p>\n Speaking to Helen Yee, he said: \u201cThat\u2019s a tough fight, that\u2019s a very tough fight. It is going to be interesting, those are my three fighters in the UFC right now Islam, (Ilia) Topuria, and JDM. JDM is fun to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s going to be a great fight. He is no slouch at wrestling, but you have a guy that has wrestled his whole life and grappled his whole life versus JDM, who is secondary on that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Both fighters have trained together out of the American Kickboxing Academy as the former lightweight champion made his ascent to the top of the company.<\/p>\n On the weight itself, he is still unsure exactly how it will affect the 33-year-old but from what he\u2019s seen, his days at lightweight might be over.<\/p>\n Rockhold said: \u201cYou never know, he is a bigger guy, we will see how Islam bulks up and how he looks, he looks a lot bigger than what I remember, I used to train with him forever, I mean he has definitely grown, and we will see how he carries the weight.\u201d<\/p>\n The fight is yet to be announced, but rumours coming out of both camps suggest it will potentially take place on UFC 322.<\/p>\n Islam Makhachev says Ilia Topuria pound-for-pound #1 ranking is all \u2018marketing\u2019<\/p>\n A fighter in the former champion\u2019s weight class whom he hasn\u2019t faced yet is current 155 head honcho Ilia Topuria<\/a>.<\/p>\n Topuria recently climbed to the number one position on the pound-for-pound list after retaining his title with a win over Charles Oliveira, knocking Makhachev off his perch.<\/p>\n But the Khabib Nurmagomedov-trained competitor doesn\u2019t believe the organisation placed him there based on merit.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cIt\u2019s marketing to hype up this fight. They\u2019re doing the right thing. We will fight for 1st place.\u201d<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8 Islam Makhachev wants to fight Ilia Topuria for the top pound-for-pound spot <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s marketing to hype up this fight. They\u2019re doing the right thing. We will fight for 1st place.\u201d \ud83d\ude31 pic.twitter.com\/yGOhIZyYdk<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) July 27, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n View Tweet<\/p>\n The pair may never square off in the Octagon because of Islam\u2019s move to welterweight, but if a deal could be agreed on, a non-title catchweight contest could settle their argument of who is the best.<\/p>\n