While Makhachev (24-1) has expressed a desire to move up a weight class and face the winner of Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington for the welterweight strap following the rematch with “do Bronx,” his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, recently revealed that Justin Gaethje would probably be next in line for a lightweight title shot following an impressive knockout victory against Dustin Poirier at UFC 291.
While Mendes is happy to take on the aforementioned fights, there is one that the AKA head coach would prefer for his Dagestani pupil. In a recent interview with Helen Yee, the San Jose, California,-based trainer elaborated:
“So, in a perfect world, What I would like is what Islam wants because he wants the champ-champ status, so Colby would be the one I would pick, only because of that reason. But, if you're asking me, the one I really want back, I want to go with Alex [Volkanovski] because I know Islam is going to do much better in the rematch... We won the first one, but I want it to be crystal clear. So, I want that one for that reason.”
Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski last met inside the Octagon at UFC 284 in February. While the lightweight champion managed to secure the unanimous decision victory, some believed the Australian had done enough to become a two-division champion.