Former UFC lightweight, now welterweight, champion Islam Makhachev has been on a roll since his MMA debut, and he’s showing no signs of stopping soon. Since his UFC debut in 2015, where he battled Leo Kuntz and won, the fighter has proven again and again that he is a force to be reckoned with, which is unsurprising as he trained and tutored alongside Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Makhachev had a good run in the lightweight division, snagging a 16-fight winning streak and only suffering one loss. After years spent dominating the lightweight division, the fighter finally had a shot at the title, and he took it. He battled Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 and dominated with a round-two triangle choke.
His victory set him as a target for many formidable opponents, but Makhachev did not disappoint. In a shocking spectacle, the fighter successfully defended his belt against the likes of Alexander Volkanovski (twice), Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano. After his wins, the fighter believed there was a better challenge ahead, although Ilia Topuria was set to make a shift to lightweight and battle Makhachev. But the fighter’s coach and his tutor Nurmagomedov do not believe “El Matador” was worth his time in the octagon.
After moving to welterweight, Makhachev wasted no time in going up against the champ, Jack Della Maddalena and winning. Now, with the welterweight belt hanging securely on his shoulder, many wonder who in the welterweight rankings has what it takes to defeat Makhachev.
Although the next obvious contender will either be a rematch with Jack Della Maddalena or a bout against Belal Muhammad, both have once held the championship belt and lost. Another chance at it, when there might be other worthier opponents, might not be a fight many will sign up to watch. Also, Belal was never given a rematch after losing the belt to Maddalena, and many believe he deserves a chance.
The matchup is still uncertain, as Ian Machado Garry recently scored a unanimous decision win over the former champ. Now it seems Machado might get a shot at Makhachev after all. However, it is doubtful that Ian Machado Garry stands a chance against the champ.
Both Garry and Muhammad have resilience and stamina, but their style usually relies on maintaining pace and tiring their opponents. It might work in other situations, but it’ll be almost impossible for that technique to work in Makhachev’s case, as the fighter prefers to finish his fights early. Muhammad’s loss might come as a relief to the fighter, as he was not too thrilled to face Makhachev, considering the two have a deep-rooted friendship and were under the tutelage of Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The same case happened with Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling. The two refused to fight each other, stating their friendship as the reason, and Sterling has since moved from bantamweight. If Makhachev and Muhammad have this same issue, it might be advisable for either to vacate the division.
Next on the lineup are Michael Morales and Carlos Prates, but many doubt these fighters’ ability to go toe to toe with Makhachev. Makahchev is known for taking his fights to the ground at every slightest opportunity, where he dominates his opponents. As for Morales and Prates, their fights usually stay on the feet. However, these fighters have crazy striking power, and all it takes is one mistake from Makhachev for either of them to score a hit and knock him out. This might be hard to do, as the fighter Prates struggled to stay in the cage with Garry in his last outing.
Another striker who might have a shot is Kamaru Usman. Although the fighter isn’t in his prime, there’s no doubt he still packs a punch and is also a good wrestler. A matchup with Makhachev might be entertaining to watch; however, his knee injury might pose a threat. His best chance is using his reach and striking power to find an angle and finish the fight early with a KO.
A possible matchup that many feel is fair is Shavkat Rakhmonov. The fighter is a powerful striker, a formidable finisher and a technical athlete. He poses the most threat to Makhachev; however, one of his issues is his poor striking defence and his constant withdrawal due to one sickness or the other.
Despite the array of potential matchups, with their impressive takedown records and skills in the cage, many still wonder if any have what it takes to bring Makhachev to his knees.
