The UFC lightweight title picture is in a bit of disarray after champ Charles Oliveira was stripped of his title after missing weight for his title fight against Justin Gaethje by half a pound. “Do Bronx” then went on to defeat Gaethje via second round submission at UFC 274 (watch the highlights here).
But because Oliveira was ineligible to win the title back due to the weigh-in incident, the 155 pound strap currently sits vacant.
UFC president Dana White promised Oliveira immediately after the fight that he’d be the #1 contender for his former belt moving forward. That leaves one half a title fight to be booked, and Khabib Nurmagomedov was extremely insistent that his close friend and teammate Islam Makhachev get the call.
“Dana White you have no other choice but make Oliveira vs Islam fight in Abu Dhabi 22 October,” Khabib wrote. “Perfect date, Perfect location, Perfect opponents with perfect winning streaks 10 vs 11.”
“Why Islam Makhachev has to do contender fight, if there’s no champion in this division?” he added.
This isn’t the first time Khabib has been rather pushy about his pupil getting a lightweight title shot. Following Makhachev’s win over late replacement Bobby Green, Khabib claimed Dana White had agreed to give Islam a title shot. Not so fast, though: after Makhachev turned down a last-minute fight against Rafael dos Anjos, White decided he’d have to fight #4 ranked Beneil Dariush to earn a title shot.
Asked at the UFC 274 post-fight press conference if he still intended to book Makhachev vs. Dariush, White said “I do. But Joe Rogan just grabbed me in the hallway and told me not to.”
White refused to speculate on whether Oliveira would fight for the vacant lightweight title in the meantime.
For his part, Makhachev is just moving forward with the assumption that everything would work out in his favor and he’d be fighting for the title in Abu Dhabi come October.
When’s khabib got another Kung Fu show on,?? I liked the last one it was cool as fuck.
No
Thanks Khabib, but the UG will decide who gets the next shot
That can’t be real
Plus he has KhabibFC to matchmaker
Will Khabib shoot up the apex if Dana does not give in to his demands?
More than likely
Khabib is built like a Chimp.
Rogan is overstepping here with his power and influence and DC in his ear
Imagine another sport like the NFL and Roger Goodell going
“We are going to switch up the SuperBowl plans… a comedian just told me something in the hallway so we are changing the match up”
That’s a perfect match up. Dana and the Zuffa matchmakers suck, so I doubt they’ll make the fight. Islam is the new 155lb king
I think that’s really a question for Khabib’s mom.
Suicide bomber imo
Chandler demands Jesus
Make Chandler fight Islam. It could be a Crusade fight
ttt
ttt