Islam Makhachev calls out Justin Gaethje after 'The Highlight' questioned his "crazy" jump up the lightweight rankings
Islam Makhachev has called out fellow ranked lightweight contender Justin Gaethje for questioning his place in the lightweight rankings.
Makhachev took to Twitter to pull Gaethje's leg. He asked if the former interim champion was unhappy with the Russian getting close to him on the 155-pound ladder.
"Hey @Justin_Gaethje you not happy I'm getting next to you in rankings?"
Hey @Justin_Gaethje you not happy I’m getting next to you in rankings? 😂
Islam Makhachev's response came after Justin Gaethje claimed it was "crazy" for him to see the 30-year-old Dagestani jump into the top-five after beating a significantly lower-ranked opponent.
Makhachev defeated current No.15 contender Thiago Moises via submission in July this year. Pointing out the result, Gaethje told Helen Yee that he was confused to see Makhachev jump four spots to No.5.
"It would be good to see Islam fight someone that's ranked higher. It was crazy to see... the dude jump from 15 or 12 to five after beating the No. 14 guy. So yeah, I’m glad to see him fight, you know an actual ranked fighter."
Watch Helen Yee's interview with Justin Gaethje below:
Islam Makhachev has a 20-1 record, while No.2-ranked UFC lightweight contender Justin Gaethje is 22-3.
Islam Makhachev will face Dan Hooker at UFC 267, while Justin Gaethje is set to take on Michael Chandler at UFC 268
Islam Makhachev will be squaring off against No.6 lightweight contender Dan Hooker at UFC 267. The non-pay-per-view numbered event will go down in Abu Dhabi on October 30.
Hooker has stepped in on short notice after Makhachev's former opponent Rafael dos Anjos dropped out of the bout due to his recent surgery. 'The Hangman' only recently fought at UFC 266 on September 25. He earned a unanimous decision victory over the unranked Nasrat Haqparast.
Less than one week after his UFC 266 win, Dan Hooker has agreed to face Islam Makhachev at UFC 267 on Oct. 30, Dana White told @bokamotoESPN.
Hooker is replacing Rafael dos Anjos, who was forced out of the UFC 267 bout against Makhachev due to injury. https://t.co/BvaMJO7TwM
Meanwhile, Justin Gaethje will take on No.4-ranked lightweight Michael Chandler at UFC 268. The stacked pay-per-view will take place at Madison Square Garden on November 6. A victory is likely to give either man a shot at the lightweight title in 2022..
👑 Usman v Covington 2
👑 Namajunas v Zhang 2
🔥 Gaethje v Chandler
Your #UFC268 official poster is here.
Cannot wait 🗽 https://t.co/28iyOBGZYJ
Chandler last fought for the vacant lightweight belt against current champion Charles Oliveira. He lost via TKO in the second round. Oliveira's first title defense will be against No.1 contender Dustin Poirier at UFC 269 in December.