Holloway questions why Makhachev still carries two belts after vacating lightweight title

Max Holloway is questioning Islam Makhachev’s decision to keep sporting two UFC championship belts, arguing the double-gold look no longer holds up now that the lightweight title has moved on.

The debate follows Makhachev’s first successful defence of his welterweight title at UFC 330 last Saturday, where he defeated Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision. The win placed Makhachev in rare company — alongside Henry Cejudo, Daniel Cormier, Jon Jones, and Amanda Nunes — as the only UFC fighters to successfully defend championships in two separate weight classes.

The catch, as Holloway sees it, is that Makhachev vacated the lightweight belt when he moved up to 170 pounds. The 155-pound title has since changed hands twice: Ilia Topuria claimed the vacant strap by defeating Charles Oliveira, before Justin Gaethje dethroned Topuria at UFC White House.

“Why the f*ck do you have two belts?” Holloway said on his Kick channel. “For aura? I mean, it is what it is, like, you are, but you’re not.”

Holloway followed up with a second dig, pointing out that Makhachev is now a single-division champion with no apparent plans to return to lightweight. “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.”

It is worth noting that the UFC produces a new physical belt each time a fighter wins or defends a title, so Makhachev legitimately owns the hardware he is carrying. He is also not the first champion to be photographed with multiple belts. But Holloway’s point is less about the trophies themselves and more about the optics of presenting dual-champion status when the second title has long since been awarded to someone else.

Holloway is well acquainted with championship gold himself. He held the featherweight title from 2017 to 2019 and added the BMF title in 2024 with a knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 that was widely regarded as one of the finest performances in the promotion’s history.