Islam Makhachev being champion solves huge lightweight matchup issue for UFC
Islam Makhachev's reign over the lightweight division is favorable for UFC matchmakers, as the promotion is reportedly working on a bout between top-ranked contenders Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev.
Following his spectacular knockout victory over Rafael dos Anjos at UFC Vegas 58, Fiziev seized the opportunity to call out Gaethje for a potential fight that has fireworks written all over it. Gaethje was just coming off a loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 274 in his second bid to lay hands on the undisputed UFC gold.
Fiziev continued to make his case for a fight against the American as Gaethje continued to explore other opportunities.
Rafael Fiziev continues making his case for a fight against Justin Gaethje 👀 https://t.co/fWwbC6Gmkf
From Gaethje's perspective, a fight against Fiziev did not make sense, considering that a victory over the Azerbaijani would not guarantee him a title shot since he had already lost once to Oliveira. Now that Islam Makhachev has dethroned the Brazilian and ascended to the top of the 155-pound division, it makes sense for the No.3-ranked lightweight contender to fight Fiziev, thereby resolving a significant matchup issue.
ESPN reporter Brett Okamoto offered this insight on a recent episode of The Patrick McCorry Sports Show. He said:
"I think the problem with that fight [Gaethje vs. Fiziev] is that Gaethje has reached a point in his career where he's like, 'I don't want to fight down [in rankings]. I've earned the right to be in the fight that I want to be in...that gives me clear motivation. What am I getting out of fighting Rafael Fiziev?"
Okamoto added:
"While Oliveira was the champion, what was the answer to the question? He had just lost to Oliveira. So it's like if you beat Rafael Fiziev, do you get a title shot? No, because it's Charles Oliveira... But now, it's Islam Makhachev and Gaethje has not fought Makhachev."
Justin Gaethje has insisted on being booked to fight alongside teammate Kamaru Usman on the same card. Given that Usman is likely to rematch welterweight champion Leon Edwards at UFC 286 in London later this year, Gaethje vs. Fiziev on the same card seems plausible.
Catch Okamoto's comments below (44:00):
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Daniel Cormier believes Alexander Volkanovski will pull off "the biggest upset in MMA history" if he beats Islam Makhachev
Islam Makhachev has his sights set on the No.1 pound-for-pound spot that is currently occupied by UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. In the immediate aftermath of his stunning victory over Charles Oliveira at UFC 280, Makhachev set the stage for a high-profile clash against 'The Great' in his post-fight interview.
Alex Volkanovski in Australia 
THIS WOULD BE MEGA! 😍
Islam Makhachev 🆚 Alex Volkanovski in Australia 🇦🇺
Both titles on the line 🏆🏆
P4P ranking on the line ✅
@MAKHACHEVMMA 🤝 @alexvolkanovski
#UFC280 #UFC #MMA https://t.co/YW7Zybxc99
Islam Makhachev (23-1) is pulling out all the stops in preparation for his maiden title defense against the Australian at UFC 284 on February 12, 2023, in Perth, Australia's RAC Arena.
Previewing the upcoming clash on his YouTube channel, Daniel Cormier claimed that Volkanovski could pull off the biggest upset in UFC history by defeating Makhachev:
“In my opinion, if Volkanovski wins this fight, it’s the biggest. It’s bigger than anything we’ve seen because, I’m telling you, when you get into the details of this matchup, it seems a very hard match for Volkanovski to win because his skillset is almost catered for a guy like Makhachev because of Makhachev’s ability to stand and also his size."
Catch Cormier's comments below (4:00):