TLDR
- Max Holloway questioned why Islam Makhachev posed with two belts after defending only his welterweight title at UFC 330
- Makhachev vacated his lightweight belt when moving to welterweight, with the title now held by Justin Gaethje
- Holloway argued Makhachev should only carry one belt since he’s no longer defending the lightweight championship
- Makhachev responded on social media, saying the belts are ‘too heavy to hold’ but Holloway wouldn’t understand
- Multiple UFC champions including Ilia Topuria have posed with two belts despite competing in only one division
Sources: mmafighting.com | sports.yahoo.com | mmasucka.com
Former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway has called out Islam Makhachev for carrying two championship belts after his successful title defense at UFC 330. Makhachev defeated Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision on Saturday in Philadelphia to retain his welterweight title.
After the fight, Makhachev was seen celebrating with both his current welterweight belt and his former lightweight championship. The display prompted Holloway to question the choice during a broadcast on his Kick channel.
Holloway Questions the Double-Belt Display
“Why the f*ck do you have two belts?” Holloway asked. “For aura? I mean, it is what it is, like, you are, but you’re not.”
Makhachev vacated his lightweight title when he moved up to the welterweight division. Since then, the 155-pound belt has changed hands twice, first going to Ilia Topuria who defeated Charles Oliveira for the vacant title, then to Justin Gaethje who upset Topuria at UFC White House.
Max Holloway questions Islam Makhachev posing with two UFC belts, pointing out that while Islam is a double champion, he has only defended one of the titles.
“You’re a double champ, but you defended only one.”
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— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) August 17, 2026
Holloway pointed out that Makhachev no longer defends the lightweight belt. “That was temporary but now you’re just defending one belt, bro,” he said. “Why you keep—I don’t know. I don’t know, guys.”
The UFC makes a new belt each time a fighter wins a championship for the first time. This means Makhachev still owns the belt he won in 2022, even though Topuria received a new one when he claimed the vacant lightweight title.
Makhachev is now one of only five UFC fighters to successfully defend belts in two different weight classes. He joins Henry Cejudo, Daniel Cormier, Jon Jones, and Amanda Nunes in that exclusive group.
Makhachev Responds on Social Media
On Monday afternoon, Makhachev responded to Holloway’s comments through a post on MMA Fighting’s Instagram page. “I don’t know, bro,” Makhachev wrote. “It’s even too heavy to hold. But you don’t understand, sorry.”
Holloway held the featherweight title from 2017 to 2019. He also won the “BMF” title in 2024 with a knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300, though he later lost that belt to Charles Oliveira.
Makhachev is not the first fighter to display two belts while competing in one division. Topuria, who vacated the featherweight title to move to lightweight, posed with both belts after defeating Oliveira at UFC 317 in June 2025.
Topuria had knocked out Holloway at UFC 308 in late 2024 before moving up in weight. Other UFC champions including Daniel Cormier and Conor McGregor have also posed with two belts during their careers.
Makhachev’s win at UFC 330 marked his first successful welterweight title defense. He previously defended the lightweight title four times before vacating it to move up to 170 pounds.
The victory extended Makhachev’s winning streak to 17 consecutive fights, breaking Anderson Silva’s UFC record. UFC President Dana White has said Makhachev is “on the right path” in the discussion about all-time greats.
