How would Islam Makhachev fare in the middleweight division? Former opponent Dustin Poirier keeps it real

Dustin Poirier recently shared his take on how Islam Makhachev would do if he moved up to the UFC middleweight division.

Makhachev has been dominant atop the UFC lightweight division since winning the title at UFC 280 in 2022. He has since defended his belt four times, a record at lightweight. The Dagestani has made it clear that he eventually intends to fight for the welterweight title and get a shot at champ-champ status.

However, at the UFC 311 post-fight press conference, Makhachev revealed that if the UFC offers him a shot at middleweight gold, he'd accept the fight. He claimed he'd be willing to take on current 185-pound champion Dricus du Plessis and is confident in his chances of defeating 'Stillknocks'.

However, while Poirier believes Makhachev will find success at 170 pounds, the fighters at 185 pounds might be "too big" for him. In a recent interview with Helen Yee, the former interim lightweight champion said:

"I think he [Makhachev] would do really good at 170 [welterweight]. But at 185 [middleweight], the guys are just too big. Islam’s a big guy [too]. He can fight at 170 for sure. He can become the champion at 170, I believe. But, [moving to] 185 is pushing it [a bit too much], I think."

Check out Dustin Poirier's comments below:

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Dana White remains coy on Islam Makhachev's next fight

UFC CEO Dana White sparked widespread speculation among fans after mentioning that the promotion is in negotiations for Islam Makhachev's next bout. Many believe his next fight will be against the current featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, considering there's no clear-cut challenger at lightweight beyond Arman Tsarukyan, who's out of contention.

When pressed by a reporter at the UFC Saudi Arabia post-fight press conference about Makahchev's next matchup, White maintained confidentiality, saying:

"As soon as we announce it, you'll know"

Check out Dana White's comments below (15:03):