Islam Makahchev followed in the footsteps of Khabib Nurmagomedov and became the lightweight champion. However, becoming a double champ would set him apart.

His head coach revealed that Makhachev would ideally want to challenge for the welterweight title. He then explained why the UFC won’t let him:

“The UFC I’m sure they gotta have the lightweight title resolution taken care of by the next title challenger. So I don’t think that’s gonna happen.”

However, there is still hope for Islam Makhachev because Javier Mendez believes it could happen in the future. Once Makhachev defends his title against another contender, it could be a possibility.

Meanwhile, the champion’s name is still being connected with Alexander Volkanovski as reporters question whether the Australian turned around from that fight too soon.

Alexander Volkanovski shuts down rumors of Islam Makhachev knockout connections with UFC 298 loss

Alexander Volkanovski got knocked out for the second time in his UFC career in 2 consecutive fights. The Australian lost to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 via knockout.

During the post-fight press conference, reporters wondered whether he returned to action too soon following his knockout loss to Islam Makhachev. Here’s what he had to say:

“Nah mate, you can’t take anything away from Topuria. If he puts a hand on you like that, you’re gonna go down, that’s just that. That was a clean right hand.”

Alexander Volkanovski rejects the notion his 4-month turnaround from the KO vs. Islam Makhachev contributed to his #UFC298 title loss.

“That was a clean right hand. No matter who you are.” pic.twitter.com/jNzX6BEPlT

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) February 18, 2024

Alexander Volkanovski stated that the Islam Makhachev fight had nothing to do with it. He had a great training camp and felt great inside the ring, he had no excuses to lose the fight.

However, he gave Ilia Topuria his flowers for connecting a solid right hook. He did not take anything away from the Spaniard.

The post Islam Makhachev Won’t Fight for UFC Welterweight Title: Head Coach Explains appeared first on The SportsRush.

Islam Makhachev is the current lightweight champion of the world. He has a lot of fighters waiting to challenge him for the title, but he has given no confirmation of his next fight.

Yee asked Mendez when Makhachev would return, to which he responded:

“Probably June no up, I would think so. Hopefully, he can get two fights but let’s see. Let’s see what the UFC can plan for him.”

Javier Mendez does not have any specific opponent in mind, for Islam Makhahchev. He claimed that whoever Makhachev wants to fight is, who he thinks he should fight.

Islam Makhachev prioritizes his rest. He even warned Alexander Volkanovski of returning to the octagon too soon after suffering a knockout loss to him.

Islam Makhachev warned Alexander Volkanovski and his team of the dangers of returning to action too soon

Alexander Volkanovski took the fight against Islam Makhachev on short notice. Some would say he paid the price for it, as he got knocked out.

Following their fight, Islam Makhachev spoke to the media and stated that Volkanovski should take a couple of months rest since he got knocked out via a head kick.

“He have to take some rest. If his team’s smart, he have to take some couple months rest. Because, this is not choke him or body kick, this is head kick…..his team have to make decision.”

Islam Makhachev warned Alexander Volkanovski about making a quick turnaround pic.twitter.com/BGwXGvWl8N

— Best MMA Moments (@XcellentMMA) February 20, 2024

However, just four months after fighting Islam Makhachev, he returned to action against Ilia Topuria. The Spaniard ended up knocking him out in the second round.

Some fans believe he turned around after the Makhachev fight too soon and did not give his body enough rest. The Australian will now prioritize some well-earned rest before he thinks of returning to the octagon.

The post Islam Makhachev Next Fight: Head Coach Lays Out Potential ‘Two Fight’ Plan for 2024 appeared first on The SportsRush.

Volkanovski stayed at the #3 spot on the UFC’s top pound-for-pound fighter’s chart to begin this year. But his first encounter of 2024 at UFC 298 also ended in a devastating KO defeat. This is why a large chunk of fans are predicting that the Australian may drop even further on the list now.

Well, the UFC authorities haven’t made any alteration to their list as of now. The athlete rankings page on their official website still showcases ‘Volk’ as the featherweight champ. But the changes are expected to be updated soon. However, Volkanovski’s fans will desperately hope that the top pound-for-pound fighters list stays unchanged.

The Australian avoided dropping down on the list after his UFC 284 fight against the lightweight champ, Islam Makhachev, due to the close nature of the encounter. But it was the noted, Jon Jones, who ultimately dethroned ‘Volk’ after his dominant victory against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285. Still, ‘The Great’ held onto the second spot on the list.

Most fans may not have much to say about ‘Volk’s’ drop to the third spot on the list. It was quite justified as the former featherweight champ picked up another loss against Makhachev at UFC 294. Hence, his UFC 298 defeat might make the fears of his fans come true.

Will Alexander Volkanovski drop another spot in the UFC top pound-for-pound fighters list?

To answer this question, we need to take a look at the current UFC pound-for-pound fighters list. It will reveal that the current UFC welterweight king, Leon Edwards, is the one who sits at the #4 spot currently, just below ‘The Great’. Volkanovski’s recent record says that he currently stands at 1-3 in his last four in-octagon showdowns. ‘Rocky’ trumps ‘The Great’ here by a huge margin.

A look at Edwards’ past four UFC encounters will reveal that he has won all four of them. Moreover, his last defeat came against the former UFC welterweight king, Kamaru Usman in 2015. Almost every UFC fan may know that Edwards avenged his last loss against Usman in a vicious fashion, KO-ing ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ with a head kick. He also won their coveted rivalry 2-1 after three fights between them.

Adding to all of this, the Jamaican-British is currently on a 12-fight win streak as well. Hence, it’s quite clear that Edwards has every chance of surpassing Volkanovski on the UFC pound-for-pound rankings. However, due to the confusion about the factors determining this list, nothing can be said if the Australian will lose his spot to the UK native or not.

The post UFC Pound-for-Pound Rankings: Will Alexander Volkanovski Drop Down After His Second Straight UFC Loss? appeared first on The SportsRush.

#5 Khamzat Chimaev

There’s hardly any other UFC fighter who had a meteoric rise like the Chechen, Khamzat Chimaev. Fans love ‘Borz’ for his extreme fight readiness at any point of time. His undefeated record also accounts for numerous fans cheering him every time he takes to the octagon. ‘Borz’ has amassed a massive Instagram following of 7.8M although his UFC career started just three and a half years back.

 

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A post shared by Khamzat Chimaev (@khamzat_chimaev)

Chimaev is just 29 currently. Hence, it won’t be wrong to expect that he will gain a lot more accolades and followers with his future in-octagon showdowns.

#4 Islam Makhachev

The current UFC lightweight champ, Islam Makhachev, has proved his haters wrong and also turned many of them into his fans. Khabib Nurmagomedov’s bosom friend is currently on a 13-fight win streak, which is enough to prove his prowess in the octagon. Along with Makahchev’s victories, the amount of people following him on Instagram also took a major boost. A look at his profile will reveal that he boasts an insane 8.1M followers currently.

 

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With two title defenses and the coveted accolade of ‘Fighter of the Year’ in 2023, Makahchev’s force inside the octagon can’t be expected to decrease anytime soon. This is why he stands a chance to gain a lot more fame and followers from his fights yet to come.

#3 Jon Jones

The noted Jon ‘Bones’ Jones is undoubtedly one of the greatest fighters to ever set foot inside the octagon. It won’t be wrong to say that ‘Bones’ legacy will remain forever in the UFC. Most fans don’t need much introduction about Jones. But the count of his followers on Instagram may have them saying that he deserves a lot more. However, Jones also has been into several illegal acts to date, which might have taken a toll on his Instagram following. Currently, the former UFC light heavyweight champ and reigning UFC heavyweight champ boasts 8.2M followers on Instagram.

 

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But, it’s quite apparent that Jones is nearing the end of his UFC career. He may not stand a chance to gain a lot of followers anymore. But numerous fans considering him as the GOAT of MMA is a mark of the irreplaceable respect that he has earned from the UFC fanbase.

#2 Israel Adesanya

Despite being criticized by a plethora of fans, the noted former UFC middleweight champ, Israel Adesanya, is still one of the most popular fighters on the current UFC roster. It won’t be wrong to say that fans love to watch the character that ‘Izzy’ becomes during his fights. His flashy fighting style, unique victory celebrations, and anime references have got a massive chunk of the UFC fans falling for him. His Instagram account also bears good testimony to this. ‘The Last Stylebender’ currently boasts a whopping 8.6M followers on Instagram.

 

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A post shared by Israel Adesanya (@stylebender)

‘Izzy’ is currently on a hiatus. But he also has the reputation of being one of the most active fighters who always wants to stay in action. It won’t be wrong to expect that he will go on a similar run once he makes a comeback. His unique style also implies that he has every chance to regain his lost title and amass even more followers on Instagram.

#1 Conor McGregor

Most fans may have already guessed the topper of this list before arriving at this part. Well, they are absolutely right. It’s none other than the most noted UFC star, Conor McGregor, who is currently the most-followed male UFC fighter on Instagram. However, the gap by which ‘Mystic Mac’ beats the #2-rank holder ‘Izzy’, draws a clear picture of his insane popularity among the UFC fanbase.

It won’t be wrong to say that almost every MMA fan today has heard about the 35-year-old Irish who is also an aspiring President of his country. This is why McGregor boasts almost six times the following that the #2-ranked ‘Izzy’ has on Instagram. To be specific, McGregor currently boasts a whopping 47.2M followers on ‘Zuck’s platform.

 

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A post shared by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma)

McGregor also made his Hollywood entry with ‘Road House’ recently. Hence, it’s quite apparent that he will be gaining a lot more wealth and followers with his involvement in such ventures. The UFC community is also awaiting McGregor’s return to the octagon, which he said will happen on 29 June this year.

Several fans were predicting that McGregor may headline the coveted UFC 300. But a recent announcement from the UFC CEO, Dana White, revealed that his return will happen at his previously mentioned timeline only.

Well, the world of social media is a highly uncertain place where stars are created and destroyed overnight. Hence, it won’t be wrong to expect that this list might go through several major changes in the future.

The post Top 5 Male UFC Fighters With the Most Followers on Instagram appeared first on The SportsRush.

The Australian started his pro-MMA career fighting under local Australian promotions like the Wollongong Wars and Australian Fighting Championship before joining the UFC.

He made his debut under ‘Revolution Promotions’ on 19 May 2012. While most fans may know that ‘The Great’ had his last fight at UFC 294 on 21 October 2023.

A report from ‘MMA Salaries’ assumes that ‘Volk’ currently holds a net worth of $3.5M. It also details that ‘The Great’ earned a meager guaranteed fight purse of $7k for his AFC 15 fight on 19 March 2016.

However, nothing showcases his rise better than the $1M guaranteed fight purse that he earned for his last fight against Islam Makhachev.

The report also reveals that Volkanovski has amassed about $11.9M from his fight career which is already in its twelfth year.

However, he isn’t showing any signs of slowing down to date. Several fans may also be wondering about how much will ‘The Australian’ make from his upcoming UFC 298 fight on February 17.

Alexander Volkanovski will pocket a healthy amount from his UFC 298 fight against Ilia Topuria

As already mentioned, ‘Volk’ currently lies inside the $1M salary belt of UFC fighters. It’s quite apparent that he will pocket a minimum of $1M if he shows up to the fight. However, ‘Volk’ is also a UFC champion.

This is why he will also make a good amount of money from his share of the PPV-sales revenue. ‘MMA Salaries’ also revealed that ‘Volk’ pocketed $850k for the same after his UFC 294 fight.

But, it is never possible to predict how much an event will make from its PPV sales. Hence, it’s quite understandable that the current UFC featherweight champ stands a chance to make a lot more money than his previous fight, but only if the UFC 298 does better than UFC 294 in terms of PPV sales. However, he surely wouldn’t want their results to be the same.

The post Alexander Volkanovski Earnings: How Much Money Did UFC Champion Make From His Fighting Career? appeared first on The SportsRush.

UFC Fighters can earn the respect of fans due to a plethora of reasons. Noted UFC faces like Jim Miller and Donald Cerrone have been respected by fans despite having multiple losses in their resume.

Hence, it’s not always necessary to maintain an undefeated record like ‘The Eagle’ to receive respect. Volkanovski also stands as an example of this fact.

The Australian has faced defeat only thrice in his 29 pro-MMA fight career to date. Here’s a look at all of those losses, despite which MMA fans continue to hail him.

Alexander Volkanovski’s first loss against Cory Nelson

It won’t be wrong to say that ‘Volk’ was a lot more immature as a fighter when he picked up his first loss against Corey ‘Major’ Nelson. The debacle happened on 10 May 2013 while he was fighting in the Australian Fighting Championship semifinals. His rival, Nelson, boasted a significant height and reach advantage over him. He unleashed a volley of head kicks on ‘The Great’ making him wobbly.

But, it was a fierce right uppercut from ‘Volk’s’ rival that had him going down to the canvas. Nelson rushed in after watching the compromised ‘Volk’ and ended the fight with ground and pound just within a few more seconds.

It is quite apparent that Volkanovski took numerous lessons from his first loss. After this, he went on an undefeated streak for ten years, during which he got inducted into the UFC as well.

Alexander Volkanovski’s second loss against Islam Makhachev

Volkanovski steamrolled all of his UFC rivals after his induction and became the UFC featherweight champion as well. However, the challenge-lover in ‘The Great’ got him moving up to lightweight in pursuit of the coveted champ-champ status. He faced the UFC lightweight king Islam Makhachev for the first time at UFC 284 on 11 February 2023 in a fight that was later crowned ‘Fight of the Year’ by multiple noted organizations.

After a pretty evenly matched five rounds, the judges’ scorecard revealed that ‘Volk’ had lost the fight via split decision. A storm of controversies may have engulfed the UFC community after ‘The Great’s’ second loss. But it doesn’t change the fact that Volkanovski picked up his second loss at UFC 284.

Alexander Volkanovski’s third loss against Islam Makhachev

The UFC lightweight king, Islam Makhachev, ultimately proved to be unconquerable for ‘Volk’. He tasted defeat yet another time in their rematch at UFC 294. Despite not being scheduled to fight on that night, the Australian put out a display of an ideal fighter’s attitude. He accepted the fight on an 11-day notice after Makhachev’s scheduled rival, Charles ‘Dubronx’ Oliveira, was forced to step down due to an injury.

But, most fans may agree that Volk’s UFC 294 performance showcased the lack of training and strategy. Still, he was putting up a fight. But at the exact 3-min mark of the first round, one of Makhachev’s head kicks got through Volkanovski’s defense, driving him to the canvas. It took Makhachev just six more seconds to end the fight with some ground and pound.

Despite his losses at lightweight, ‘The Great’ still holds an undefeated record as a UFC featherweight. Most fans may already know that he will be facing Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 on February 17 for this fourth UFC featherweight title defense fight.

Several fans are saying that ‘El Matador’ has enough to take away the undefeated streak that ‘Volk’ boasts as a UFC featherweight. However, only time has the answer to whether coming Saturday will subject Volkanovski to his fourth loss or not.

The post Alexander Volkanovski Record: Who Did ‘The Great’ Lose To? How Many Losses Does He Have? appeared first on The SportsRush.

Alexander Volkanovski Memed for Explanation Behind UFC 294 Loss to Islam Makhachev

Recently, UFC Champion Alexander Volkanovski, discussing his recent loss against Islam Makhachev in Abu Dhabi, mentioned that he was drinking alcohol daily, leading up to his rematch at UFC 294. While many fans dismissed it as an excuse, some found humor in it. One user reacted to this by creating a meme, linking it to Conor McGregor making a person drink alcohol from a huge bottle, suggesting the person is none other than Volkanovski.

Alexander Volkanovski every day leading up to his fight with Islam Makhachev pic.twitter.com/p8Zsa2Bg8d

— ᴍᴍᴀ ᴍᴀʀᴄᴜs (@mmamarcuss) February 7, 2024

Alexander Volkanovski Sleeping Meme

As mentioned earlier this week, fight fans were treated to a video where Volkanovski, in a humorous sketch, promoted the UFC 298 event. In the video, given the fact Ilia Topuria stated that the Australian champ is too old, Volkanovski continued it being “over 35 curse,”. And in one part, Volk was sleeping on the couch while analyzing his opponent. This particular scene became popular, spawning hundreds of memes on the internet. One such meme depicted him as an old father who takes the remote to watch TV but immediately falls asleep.

 

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A post shared by UFC/MMA (@standemup)

Paulo Costa Mocked for Fight Withdrawal

Another Volk meme emerged from the same video, where he receives a call from a scammer. He didn’t understand the situation, akin to how many elderly individuals fall victim to such tricks. His team intervenes just as he’s about to give his credit card details. This scene was then repurposed to mock Paulo Costa, known for frequently pulling out of fights. One user suggested Volk’s team stopping him from accepting a fight with Costa labeling it as ‘scam’.

fighters getting a call to fight Paulo Costa: pic.twitter.com/gHy1gqsGYJ

— MacMally (@MacMallyMMA) February 9, 2024

Conor McGregor ‘RoadHouse’ Meme

It is well known that Conor McGregor is now not just a UFC fighter; he is also an actor, set to debut in the ‘RoadHouse’ movie. Apart from the movie, one thing he is mainly focusing on is his return at UFC 300. However, as Dana White recently stated, it might be off. So, fans have imagined McGregor’s current situation.

 

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A post shared by MixedMartialMemes (@mixed.martial.memes3)

Tom Aspinall getting ignored by Jon Jones and Stipe Miočić

After winning the interim Heavyweight belt, Tom Aspinall was hyped for his bout against Jon Jones or Stipe Miočić. However, both legendary fighters showed no interest in fighting him. Instead, they wanted to fight each other to settle unfinished business. This situation was perfectly memed in the post below.

 

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A post shared by UFC/ MMA MEME Spealist (@ufc_mcmemes)

As seen in the post, both Jones and Miocic are playing video games, while Aspinall is also holding a joystick, thinking he’s playing too. However, his joystick isn’t plugged in, indicating the recent situation perfectly.

The post Conor McGregor ‘RoadHouse’ to Alexander Volkanovski ‘Too Old’- Here Are Top 5 UFC Memes of This Week appeared first on The SportsRush.

Both Nurmagomedov and Makhachev are avid football fans and often play against each other. Following their latest match, the retired fighter dissed the champion:

“@islam_makhachev Your last 2 meetings have been unsuccessful. Pull yourself together already.”

Take a look at the Instagram story:

Also playing against ‘The Eagle’ was his younger brother Usman Nurmagomedov, and it seems the former champion still has a habit of winning.

He beat both Islam Makhachev and his younger brother and called them out. The UFC lightweight champion will surely be looking to exact revenge on his teammate and former coach.

Since retiring from fighting, and then subsequently coaching, Khabib Nurmagomedov has been more focused on the business side of things. He opened his gym in Abu Dhabi and posts a lot about his Crypto Partnerships. But fans will be able to see the Russian on the global stage sooner than they think.

A Khabib Nurmagomedov documentary is set to be released in the fall of this year

Khabib Nurmagomedov has been talking about his documentary for a few years now. He first spoke about it back in 2021 in an Instagram post:

“It was a good meeting with great people in Abu Dhabi. Our project with the construction of the gym and with the documentary is going very quickly.”

Take a look at the post:

 

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A post shared by Хабиб Нурмагомедов (@khabib_nurmagomedov)

Since then, he has been sharing updates with fans about the documentary. Finally, after more than two years, the documentary is reportedly set to release in October this year.

Take a look at the post by MMA Uncensored:

A Khabib Nurmagomedov documentary movie will be released this fall pic.twitter.com/0XCFM67het

— MMA UNCENSORED (@MMAUNCENSORED1) February 7, 2024

The story will depict Khabib Nurmagomedov’s rise to the top from very humble beginnings. The story of how a man from Dagestan became champion.

He did not just become champion against all odds; he created a path for many more fighters from his hometown who have now gotten into MMA, and even into the UFC. ‘The Eagle’ is a generational athlete, a trailblazer who inspired a whole generation of Russian athletes.

The post “Pull Yourself Together”: Khabib Nurmagomedov Proves He Is Better Than Islam Makhachev as He Beats UFC Champ in Football Game appeared first on The SportsRush.

The tweet said,

“Arman Tsarukyan is currently training at Russia’s highest training camp, located 7,000 feet above sea level near the Elbrus Mountains. He states that his cardio will reach the next level for his fight against Charles Oliveira.”

Arman Tsarukyan is currently training at Russia’s highest training camp, located 7,000 feet above sea level near the Elbrus Mountains

He states that his cardio will reach the next level for his fight against Charles Oliveira.

Interview to Ushatayka. pic.twitter.com/Khjypcaodq

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) February 4, 2024

Tsarukyan is not someone who has struggled with cardio in his career thus far. However, the fight against Oliveira is the biggest fight of his MMA career so far. ‘Ahalkalakets’ wants to make sure no stone is left unturned in order to secure a win.

A few days back, the 27-year-old shared a picture on Instagram that left MMA fans shocked. Tsarukyan was spotted training with MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko.

The recently retired MMA legend looked significantly different from the last time he was seen in an octagon. Training with Emelianenko and at altitude will not guarantee a win for Tsarukyan. However, it will definitely give him a much needed psychological boost heading into the fight.

Arman Tsarukyan to pip Justin Gaethje to a title shot against Islam Makhachev?

Tsarukyan is in an interesting position in the lightweight division at the moment. The likes of Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira are ahead of him in terms of the title picture. However, if Tsarukyan is able to secure a statement win against Charles Oliveira, he might just secure himself a title shot.

This will be easier said than done, since Oliveira has been stopped only once in the last six years, that too by the Makhachev.

 

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A post shared by Arman Tsarukyan (@arm_011)

Justin Gaethje is also a frontrunner, but since he has already fallen short in title fights twice, the UFC might want to give Tsarukyan a shot at the title. The champion recently stated that he would return to action in June or July this year. Therefore, there is a lot on the like for Tsarukyan as he pulls out all the stops for UFC 300.

The post UFC 300: After Fedor Emelianenko, Arman Tsarukyan Makes Another Major Change to Training Camp Ahead of Charles Oliveira Fight appeared first on The SportsRush.

In a recent interview, a reporter asked Makhachev about his potential return to the UFC. While speaking to MMA Squad, he said,

“June/July I have next fight. I did just one training every day, nothing like hard. But I’m still training everyday because I am a champion, I have to defend my belt, I have to be ready. Now everybody want to take my belt.”

Islam Makhachev fulfilled his lifelong dream in October 2022 against Charles Oliveira at UFC 280. After securing his title, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s protégé levelled his title defence record with two wins over Volkanovski. At UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi, Makhachev was supposed to face Charles Oliveira for a second time. However, a cut in training forced Oliveira to pull out from the fight.

The UFC was then forced to put together a last-minute replacement, which is when Volkanovski stepped up. The understanding was that if Makhachev got the win, he would fight Oliveira next. While fans expected the event to headline UFC 300, Dana White and the UFC ended up taking a different route altogether. White mentioned that Makhachev was injured due to which they had to find Oliveira another opponent.

Justin Gaethje or Charles Oliveira? Who is next for Islam Makhachev?

At UFC 300, there are two fights that will have massive implications on the title picture for the lightweight division. Justin Gaethje takes on Max Holloway, with his ‘BMF’ belt on the line. Charles Oliveira takes on Arman Tsarukyan in what will be an extremely interesting fight. If both Gaethje and Oliveira win, the UFC will have a tough time figuring out who is next for Makhachev.

 

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A post shared by Islam_Makhachev (@islam_makhachev)

Since the champion wants to fight in June or July, it is a small turnaround time for fighters who will compete at UFC 300. Therefore, between Gaethje and Oliveira, the fighter who has taken lesser damage and agrees to a quick turnaround will most likely get the title. However, if both Gaethje and Oliveira lose, the next title shot at 155-pounds will be given to Arman Tsarukyan.

The post Islam Makhachev Next Fight: UFC Champ Updates Fans on His Return Post Injury appeared first on The SportsRush.