You don't think the prior 0-1 at LHW hurt's Izzy's case a bit? Because I think I would 100% be in agreement with you if he hadn't gone up previously to fight Jan.
Meaning - If we flip it and Khamzat had previously went up to 185 a bit earlier in his career and lost to a...Paulo Costa, let's say.....I don't think I would have this same take. Part of going up is the unknown of how they handle bigger matchups and, as a fan, there just doesn't seem to be a huge reward for Izzy.
If he loses, again 'he's a MW height bully blah blah blah'. If he wins, it's 'well Hill wasn't that good. They tailored an easier matchup for Izzy after Jan's win etc'.
Although when it comes to convincing Izzy, I absolutely agree with you. Izzy should/would be lobbying for LHW, clearly, and the UFC is probably more than happy to oblige to satisfy a star.
Again, I get it. I just don't love it.