UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev has an idea of when he’d like his next fight to be.
Makhachev was last seen inside the Octagon back in October 2023. He left no doubt in his rivalry with UFC featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski, scoring a first-round finish thanks to a perfectly timed head kick. While fans were hoping to see Makhachev compete on the UFC 300 card on April 13, that won’t be happening. Instead, the UFC insists Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan will be a number one contender fight.
But when will Makhachev be ready?
Islam Makhachev Targets June Or July
Islam Makhachev was recently in Paris, France to support a teammate for a wrestling match. The 155-pound titleholder chatted with the media and discussed when he’ll be ready to put his gloves back on to defend his UFC gold.
“June-July I have next fight,” Makhachev said. “I did just one training every day, nothing like hard, but I still train every day because I am a champion, I have to defend my belt, I have to be ready always. Now, everybody want to take my belt.”
If the UFC sticks to its guns, and if the winner of Oliveira vs. Tsarukyan can stay healthy, then Makhachev won’t have to look very far for his next challenger. Makhachev has expressed lofty goals for the future, such as potentially challenging for the UFC Welterweight Championship down the line. For now, he’ll observe how the UFC 300 clash between “do Bronx” and “Ahalkalakets” goes.
Makhachev has already defeated both Charles and Arman, and it was the latter who ended up giving him a tougher time. With that said, one can’t deny that Makhachev has improved even from those two successful outings.
Here is part of Islam Makhachev’s media scrum in Paris:
