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Islam Makhachev isn’t in a position to disclose what the UFC and Dana White have planned for his next fight just yet.
The UFC lightweight champion currently occupies the top spot in the promotion’s pound-for-pound rankings following his win over Renato Moicano, who stepped up on extremely short-notice at UFC 311 after #1-ranked Arman Tsarukyan suffered an injury during his weight cut.
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Makhachev is currently on a 15-fight win streak and has successfully defended his lightweight belt four times, although more critical fans will point to the fact that two of those defenses were against former Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski and the most recent was against the #10-ranked Moicano.
Rumors have been flying about who the lightweight champion will face next after kicking off his year at UFC 311, and a potential superfight with undefeated Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria is seemingly at the top of many fans’ wish lists.
During a recent interview with Match TV (h/t Championship Rounds), Makhachev indicated the time isn’t right for a Topuria matchup but that he’s considering some interesting options from the UFC.
“I can’t announce it yet, but there is an offer that we need to sit down with the team and think about, because there are options. We need to decide together what to do…There is an option in my weight class, and there is an offer from the UFC. But let’s wait for now.”
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White has already teased on several occasions that the promotion is working on a fight that fans will “never f***ing see coming” this year, but as of yet the UFC CEO hasn’t disclosed any concrete details on what that plan may be.
In addition to a fight with Topuria, Makhachev has also discussed the idea of moving up in weight himself to try and become a two-division UFC champion before his career is over. The 33-year-old’s friend and occasional training partner Belal Muhammad currently holds the UFC welterweight belt, and both men have indicated they have no desire to meet in the Octagon.
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