UFC lightweight champ, Islam Makhachev has been criticized for choosing to defend his title against featherweight athletes. Makhachev defeated the former UFC lightweight champ, Charles Oliveira, at UFC 280 to claim the UFC lightweight gold. But since then he hasn’t defended his title against any big UFC lightweights even once. Former UFC double champ, Daniel Cormier, laid stress on this point in his latest YouTube video. ‘DC’ pointed out how fighting the big guns in his division can make an immense difference in Makhachev’s reception as the UFC lightweight champ.
As of now, Makhachev has two title defenses to his name. But he faced the former UFC featherweight king, Alexander Volkanovski both the times. His dominant performance against Volkanovski asserted that Makhachev certainly has enough to get the better of lightweight contenders as well. But Cormier felt it was high time that he proved the same to the fans.
‘DC’ also mentioned the names of two coveted UFC lightweights who could boost Makhachev’s reputation. He said,
“He needed to beat Charles Oliveira because that’s the guy who people recognized. He beat him to become a champion. [But now] He needs to fight Conor McGregor or Michael Chandler to push himself up to the next level.”
Well, it’s pertinent to note that ‘DC’ used the names of McGregor and Chandler as examples instead of actually meaning Makhachev should fight them. However, the former UFC champ-champ also opined that the 32-year-old’s upcoming title defense against Dustin ‘The Diamond’ Poirier at UFC 302 will surely serve his purpose. But only if he manages to win.
Islam Makahchev might witness the downside of facing a fierce UFC lightweight in his next fight
All the UFC lightweights ‘DC’ named are battle-tested warriors. Makhachev’s next rival, Dustin Poirier, has also showcased his might inside the octagon multiple times to date. His awesome performance at UFC 299 proved that his skills haven’t withered away with time.
Poirier’s UFC 299 rival, Benoit Saint-Denis, was believed to have an uncrackable chin. However, that was until he ran into ‘The Diamond’ who KO-ed him in the second round of the fight. Thus, there’s every possibility that the repetition of the same might happen during the UFC 302 main event.
‘DC’ was nowhere wrong in opining that Makhachev’s reputation will get a huge boost if he locks horns with noted UFC lightweights. But it also makes the Dagestani a lot more vulnerable to the threat of losing his title. Will Makhachev be able to establish his legacy by clearing out his division is a question for the future to be answered.
