Islam Makhachev isn’t interested in fighting for the BMF strap during his next title defense.
Earlier this year, Makhachev solidified himself as the UFC lightweight champion by defeating Alexander Volkanovski on February 11. Since then, the 31-year-old Russian has been waiting for his next worthy title challenger.
Although Charles Oliveira could be next after UFC 289, all eyes will be on Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje 2 on July 29. The lightweight superstars will be competing for the controversial BMF title. During an interview with Daniel Cormier, Makhachev had this to say about the BMF strap:
“This belt for the bums. Who first fought for this belt? Diaz and Masvidal. The people who never can be champion. They give him some belt, guys be happy, fight for BMF… Gaethje and Poirier, they fight for the real belt many times and they always lose. Now Dana, good guy, give them other belt… Honestly, if somebody give me this belt tomorrow, I don’t want this sh*t.”
The BMF title was introduced in November 2019 when Jorge Masvidal defeated Nate Diaz. Masvidal never defended the controversial belt, leading to some people considering it a gimmick. The UFC looks to bring back the BMF strap on July 29 to honor the wars that Poirier and Gaethje have endured in the Octagon.
Islam Makhachev is confident he will beat the winner of ‘boxing match’ between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje
It’s unclear if Charles Oliveira will get the next UFC lightweight title shot. With that said, the winner between Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier likely won’t need another win before fighting Islam Makhachev or Oliveira.
During the same interview with Daniel Cormier, Makhachev voiced his confidence in his ability to beat Poirier or Gaethje:
“I can beat them. I can fight with Poirier or Gaethje, but I don’t need this BMF sh*t. I can beat these guys easy. I think better fight for me is Gaethje or Poirier because for the fans, people gonna watch this fight.”
Makhachev followed up with his prediction for the rematch in the UFC 291 main event:
“I think Poirier gonna beat him. What does Gaethje have for Poirier? Nothing. Poirier have good boxing, better than Gaethje. That’s it, this is gonna be a boxing match.”
Regardless of who’s next for Makhachev, they will surely have their hands full. The Dagestan native has continued to evolve his striking while maintaining one of the best grappling skill sets in the world. Only time will tell if someone can dethrone the reigning UFC lightweight champion in the near future.
