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Dominant UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev Looking For New Challenge In His Next Fight After Emphatic UFC 311 Win 1b3a6x
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The Islam Makhachev next fight is a hot topic of conversation, with the dominant UFC Lightweight Champion set for a lengthy break before his next 155-pound title defence in the summer.
Islam Makhachev Next Fight: When Will The UFC Lightweight King Return? 6j392z
Islam Makhachev is one of the greatest MMA fighters on the planet right now. The reigning UFC Lightweight Champion is a near unbeatable force at 155-pounds right now, following on the Dagestani dominance of the UFC lightweight division following Khabib Nurmagomedov.
UFC fans last saw the Dagestani fighter in action at UFC 311 in January, where he defeated late replacement Renato Moicano by Round 1 submission to retain his UFC Lightweight Title for the fourth successive fight. Makhachev won the belt back in October 2022 and has since defended it on four occasions.
Regarding Islam Makhachev’s next fight, the 155-pound champion does not yet have an official opponent. However, the likelihood is that Makhachev will face Arman Tsarukyan once and for all in his next 155-pound title defence.
Makhachev vs Tsarukyan 2 was of course meant to headline UFC 311, before the challenger pulled out 24 hours prior due to injury. It is likely the rematch gets rescheduled for later in the year, once Tsarukyan’s injury has healed. Summer seems the likely timeframe for the fight.
Arman Tsarukyan and Makhachev of course fought back in 2019, with the Russian fighter winning via unanimous decision. However, it was a super close fight and both men have improved massively since then. A rematch makes total sense next for both men.
As the champion and dominant force at lightweight, Makhachev will always be the favourite with the best UFC betting sites no matter who he fights. Islam Makhachev’s next fight will undoubtedly be the same, no matter who is in the opposite corner.
UFC President Dana White will be excited to see Islam Makhachev back inside the octagon already after his UFC 311 demolition job. He remains one of the biggest draws in the UFC, as well as being arguably the most dominant champion on the entire UFC roster right now.
As well as being an elite fighter, Makhachev is also one of the Jon Jones as of today.
It seems Makhachev will continue to compete at 155-pounds, despite some fans feeling he looks dead at the weight. The Arman Tsarukyan gets the nod before that.
After that, it is unknown who Islam Makhachev could fight. The likes of Joe Rogan and other respected MMA voices have mentioned the possibility of the Dagestani warrior moving up to welterweight in the not so distant future.
Belal Muhammad currently holds the UFC Welterweight Title after beating Leon Edwards at UFC 304 in Manchester. It remains to be seen what he does next, whether that be fighting Edwards again or the Shavkat Rakhmonov vs Ian Garry winner later in 2025.
After that, it could be time for Islam Makhachev to move up and aim to become a two-division UFC champion. The 33-year-old will be given an immediate title shot if he decides to move up to 170-pounds, and you can’t say Makhachev doesn’t deserve it either.
Be sure to claim the various combat sports betting offers and free bet deals available on the SportsCasting site ahead of Islam Makhachev’s next fight.