I'm gonna defend this belt minimum five or six times - Islam Makhachev hopes to make a statement at lightweight before moving to welterweight
Islam Makhachev seems ambitious about having a strong run as the lightweight champion should he capture the prestigious gold at some point down the line.
Speaking to Brett Okamoto of ESPN MMA, the Dagestani revealed his plans as the future 155-pound champion. He stated his plans to defend the strap at least five times to silence all of his critics.
From there, a move to welterweight will await him. Makhachev said:
"Before I go to welterweight, I'm gonna defend this belt a minimum of five to six times because I want to show all people who talk too much who [is the] champion here, who [is the] most dominant champion because I finished my last four opponents in 11 months."
Catch Islam Makhachev's full conversation with ESPN MMA below:
Makhachev has been a tear in the 155-pound division and it is likely that he'll be in a title fight in his next UFC outing. Ranked No.3 in the division, Makhachev is riding an impressive 10-fight winning streak inside the octagon. His last four wins have all come via finishes.
Islam Makhachev confident he can finish Charles Oliveira
Islam Makhachev is adamant that he deserves to face Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC lightweight title.
The Makhachkala native has been busy on social media making a case for the title shot and is confident he can finish 'Do Bronx' inside the octagon. During the same interview, Makhachev said:
"Honestly, I believe I can finish this guy and I really want to finish him in grappling, in his area, you know? I know I can do this."
While Makhachev could be the most deserving candidate to fight for the belt in the lightweight division, Charles Oliveira insists that the Dagestani should first get past Beniel Dariush to earn his shot at the gold.
In a social media post, Makhachev responded to Oliveira's comments, accusing him of being afraid of losing and pursuing potential money fights against the likes of Nate Diaz instead.
"@CharlesDoBronxs it’s funny you calling out Nate who hasn’t won a fight in years and same time saying I have to earn something…just say it straight that you scared to lose., your jiu jitsu won’t work in our fight and you know that"
@CharlesDoBronxs it’s funny you calling out Nate who hasn’t won a fight in years and same time saying I have to earn something…just say it straight that you scared to lose., your jiu jitsu won’t work in our fight and you know that twitter.com/guicruzzz/stat…
Islam Makhachev was scheduled to take on Beneil Dariush in February in a lightweight main event that would have likely produced a challenger for the title. However, Dariush was forced to pull out due to a broken fibula.