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After displaying yet another quick work inside the Octagon, this time at UFC 311 against Renato Moicano, the undisputed Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is expected to return to the ring soon and a fight announcement is seemingly imminent. Makhachev, who is also the Pound-For-Pound No.1 fighter in the UFC, has almost cleared his division and cemented his legacy as a dominant champion. Hence, it will be a one-of-a-kind task for the UFC to find a worthy competitor for the Russian. Following his flawless victory at UFC 313 ppv over Rafael Fiziev, lightweight veteran Justin Gaethje is once again making the rounds for the title shot and according to UFC CEO Dana White, there is a possibility that Gaethje may get the opportunity to have a go at the championship again.
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Michael Bisping Picks Potential Opponent for Islam Makhachev
While Gaethje may square off against Makhachev soon, the match-up is not the next in line, per UFC legend Michael Bisping. Presenting his opinions through his YouTube channel, Bisting stated that former Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria is the next in line to face Islam Makhachev. Topuria recently abdicated his UFC title strap and climbed the weight ladder to enter the Lightweight fray.
“Realistically, there’s a ton of options for Ilia Topuria, but the reality is, Islam Makhachev has got to fight somebody soon and so does Ilia Topuria,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “Justin Gaethje wants to fight for the belt, but Justin Gaethje really doesn’t give a shit right now. I think Justin Gaethje is happy making the phenomenal amount of money that he is and going out there and being able to be himself. …
“So realistically, any of those guys that I just mentioned — Islam, Armen [Tsarukyan], Charles [Oliveira], Justin — any single one of them, and it might be one of them, but it’s probably going to be, if you asked me to bet, I think Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria [is next].”
