On the night of November 16, Islam Makhachev will fight a championship match against Australian Jack Della Maddalena at the UFC 322 tournament. The Russian is preparing in a special way for his debut in a new weight category.

Photos of the greatly changed fighter from Russia impressed the fans so much that some even suspected him of using illegal drugs.

“I’m finally a little bigger”

For most of his career, Makhachev competed in the lightweight division, where he won the UFC title in 2022. Since then, Islam has made four successful defenses of the belt. Particularly striking and memorable were two victories over Alexander Volkanovski, who at the time of the first fight led the promotion ratings, regardless of weight category.

In 2025, the Russian decided to vacate the belt and move up to welterweight. The difference in the category limit is a significant seven kilograms, and therefore Islam had to significantly increase the dimensions. And our fighter does not hide that the process of gaining weight was not easy for him.

– This camp is really difficult, I have to recruit. This is my first time training for a welterweight fight. Finally got a little bigger. “For the last couple of months, I’ve been using creatine after every workout,” Makhachev said in an interview with ESPN MMA.

No matter how hard it was for Makhachev, the result exceeded all expectations. This can be judged from the video published on social networks by Islam’s friend and colleague Usman Nurmagomedov. He helps his friend prepare for the championship fight with Della Maddalena. In the video you can see with the naked eye how much Makhachev’s torso has changed recently.

Islam Makhachev / Photo: © Jeff Bottari / Contributor / UFC / Gettyimages.ru

“He’s so huge”

Users of social networks instantly reacted to the metamorphosis that occurred with the body of the Russian fighter. Most fans of this sport were enthusiastic about the transformation of Islam.

“Damn, he’s so huge,” writes @_Matteoox.

“First finish off Della Maddalena, then defeat Topuria and you will become a legend,” @__mubasharabbas addresses the Russian.

“Islam has the genetics of a competitive bodybuilder,” admires @mystic_matt01.

“Look at these biceps, the guy is just bursting,” @Blaccicoski draws attention to his enlarged arms.

“Rest in peace, Jack Della Maddalena,” @lamFarhan sneers.

Islam Makhachev / Photo: © Harry How / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

“Where is the doping test?”

However, not everyone believes that Makhachev was able to achieve such amazing results exclusively using approved methods.

– This guy is on a roll. UFC, we need to do a doping test,” calls @conrado_b07.

“Good old creatine,” @Heraclitus00_ sneers.

“Russian supplements, bro,” writes @FrankNostradam.

“Paulo Costa’s number one client for secret juice,” compares @OverhandFeint Makhacheva with a Brazilian fighter, whom many suspect of doping.

“Creatine must be very powerful in Dagestan,” hints @altcoinsunrise.

— Where is the doping test? – asks @leogarani10.

– Steroids! – says @T_Daddy7.

— Did he achieve this himself or is he taking trenbolone and hemogenin? – asks @darioferrariMMA.

However, there is no basis for such suspicions. This year alone, Islam was tested for doping seven times – this is the fifth most in the entire league. By comparison, Della Maddalena has only faced the anti-doping program five times this year. The abundance of such comments is associated with increased attention to Makhachev and confirms that our fighter did everything right.