"Today is going to be his day to climb to the top" - Islam Makhachev's manager has a good feeling about UFC 259
Ali Abdelaziz believes the UFC 259 fight against Drew Dober is a breakthrough moment for Islam Makhachev. The MMA manager tweeted his support for his client in an encouraging tweet a few hours ahead of Makhachev's main card showdown against Dober.
'I’ve known this young man almost 7 years. I’ve seen him grow as a man, everyday. Everybody have a moment to break through. I feel today, is going to be his day, to climb to the top. Let’s go @islam_makhachev @Rizvan_RM," Ali Abdelaziz tweeted.
29-year-old Islam Makhachev is a longtime friend, teammate, and training partner of UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Currently ranked No.14 in the UFC's lightweight rankings, Makhachev is the most touted prospect competing at UFC 259 and will be a part of the second non-title fight on the main card.
The fight against Drew Dober is Islam Makhachev's first appearance inside the UFC octagon since the unanimous decision win over Davi Ramos at UFC 242 in September 2019. The Dagestan native was scheduled to fight the former champion and No. 7 ranked lightweight Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC 254 but the fight got canceled after RDA tested positive for Covid-19.
Makhachev is among the fastest rising prospects in the UFC right now and a win over Drew Dober is likely to launch him into the first title run of his career.
Could Tony Ferguson be the next opponent for Islam Makhachev?
Islam Makhachev's team is supremely confident in his ability to become the world champion. His teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov's retirement in October 2020 has paved the way for Makhachev to enter title contention.
Former interim UFC lightweight champion Tony Ferguson is a top-ranked fighter who has been pushed out of title contention right now on account of two dominant losses in his recent outings. El Cucuy will likely get an up-and-coming fighter in his next fight as opposed to another top-ranked fighter.
Islam Makhachev's manager Ali Abdelaziz has offered the Makhachev fight to Tony Ferguson on multiple occasions over the past few months. If Islam Makhachev scores an impressive win over Drew Dober at UFC 259, it will not at all be surprising if the UFC matches him up against Tony Ferguson for the comeback.
Tony Ferguson's history with Khabib Nurmagoemdov and Ali Abdelaziz makes a perfect storyline for the fight. Makhachev needs to fight a well-known fighter to announce his arrival in title contention.
The UFC 259 main card will kick off at 10:00 PM ET from the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will be headlined by the light heavyweight title fight between middleweight kingpin Israel Adesanya and champion Jan Blachowicz.