After successfully defending his lightweight championship against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294 on Saturday, Justin Gaethje is eager to face UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
(718) Justin Gaethje makes his case for fighting Islam Makhachev next | ESPN MMA – YouTube
After delivering a clean head kick and engaging the featherweight champion with a vicious ground-and-pound assault, Makhachev easily won by TKO at 3:06 of Round 1.
The No. 2 contender for the lightweight title, Gaethje, is the highest-ranked fighter in his category who hasn’t yet met Makhachev.
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Justin Gaethje Wishes To Fight Islam Makhachev After UFC 294
The No. 1 contender right now, former champion Charles Oliveira, lost to Makhachev in October 2022 via second-round submission.
He was scheduled to fight Makhachev again on Saturday but was forced to withdraw due to a serious cut above his right forehead sustained during a sparring session on October 9.
Although it seems UFC president Dana White thinks Oliveira deserves a second chance more than Gaethje, the latter may desire the title opportunity.
Regardless of who Makhachev fights next, it is obvious that he is one of the best boxers in the world. He has won 13 straight games, improving his professional record to 25-1. Makhachev has prevailed in five knockout victories and 11 fights by submission. Additionally, six of his last seven victories have come by way of knockout or submission.
Gaethje has a lifetime record of 25-4 (20 knockouts), making him a skilled fighter in his own right. He had a successful 2023, defeating Rafael Fiziev by majority decision and Dustin Poirier by knockout in the second round. The argument against Gaethje, however, is that he was defeated by Oliveira in the first round in May 2022.
