Going into last Saturday’s main event against No. 14 ranked Thiago Moises, Makhachev (No. 9 at the time) was eager to put his stamp on the lightweight division and show the world he is one of the best. He did just that and in impressive fashion, too. Now, what’s next?
After another dominant performance at UFC Vegas 31–“Khabib 2.0”–Islam Makhachev finally earned his way into the UFC lightweight division’s top 5 rankings to No. 4 overall. The 2016 World Combat Sambo Champion Makhachev disposed of Moises with relative ease, earning the victory by rear-naked choke in the 4th round.
For too long, higher-ranked competitors avoided a matchup with Makhachev, realizing the risk was not worth the reward. Now, fighters will have no choice but to tangle with the Dagestani mauler to obtain UFC gold at 155 pounds.
Makhachev only trails champion Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, Beneil Dariush, and Michael Chandler in the lightweight rankings. While Poirier is the clear-cut #1 contender and next in line for a title shot, the remaining fighters do not currently have an opponent lined up. Following his victory, Makhachev proceeded to call out several stars within the division, including No. 4 ranked Michael Chandler (who covered the fight as an analyst).
Makhachev vs. Chandler makes sense, as Chandler had called out Makhachev’s training partner and friend, Khabib Nurmagomedov, multiple times before Khabib’s eventual retirement. So, Chandler now has an opportunity to put his money where his mouth is against Khabib’s protégé in a potential #1 contender bout.
If not Chandler, then a fight with rising star Beneil Dariush is appealing. Dariush is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with knockout power, making him a formidable opponent for Makhachev.
Either option is a win for fight fans! Let’s see what unfolds.
