Islam Makhachev:

 

Some potential challengers for the Lightweight Champion in 2024.

Islam Makhachev head kicks Alexander Volkanovski to retain his Lightweight Championship at UFC 294. (Monster energy)

 

By Dustin Schlagel

 

 

LAS VEGAS (March. 7, 2024) – Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev (25-1) has started his title reign on a hot streak. With the Dagestanian Sambo fighter picking up the gold in a submission victory against former champion Charles Olivera (34-9) in 2022, his championship run has only strengthened.

Makhachev won his first Lightweight Title defense against former Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski (26-4) at UFC 284 in a spectacular five-round bout that saw a controversial unanimous decision win for Makhachev. However, the Lightweight contender didn’t let the rematch go to the scorecards at UFC 294 as he finished the Aussie brawler in the first round with a devastating head kick.


With his latest knockout putting him at the top of the UFC Pound-For-Pound rankings, a formidable challenger for Makhachev has been in question since October 2023. Fortunately, potential candidates for a shot at the title could be revealed sooner than we expect.

Likely Contender: Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan Compete for a Shot at a Sequel Match.

Although 32-year-old Makhachev has put his rivalry with Volkanovski behind him, he still has unfinished business with one contender in the Lightweight Division. Brazil’s Charles Oliveria has been looking for his redemption since losing the title in a submission loss to Makhachev in 2022. The record holder for submission victories in the UFC could prove to be the kryptonite to Makhachevs grappling prowess in a rematch.


On the other side of the coin, Russian contender Arman Tsarukyan (21-3) could also make headlines in a rematch against the champion. The two Russian natives fought in a non-title bout in 2019 that saw Makhachev walk away with a unanimous decision win. Since then, 27-year-old Tsarukyan has gone 8-1 and has proven to be one of the brightest rising stars in the company. A high-stakes rematch could happen between these two sometime in 2024.


On April 13, Tsarukyan and Oliveira will compete in a three-round fight at UFC 300, where the winner will likely call out the Lightweight Champion. However, an unlikely candidate could form before that fight ever takes place.

Dark Horse Contender: Dustin Poirier Looks to Earn His Shot at UFC 299

As it stands, 35-year-old Dustin Poirier (29-8) has a high-risk, high-reward opportunity at UFC 299. Coming off a knockout loss against Justin Gaethje at UFC 291 for the BMF title, a win on the main card of UFC 299 against France’s Benoit St. Denis (13-1) is crucial for the American knockout artist going forward. A convincing finish against a 28-year-old St. Denis could paint Poirier as a legitimate contender for the belt.


However, If Poirier loses, his hopes for a title shot could be extinguished permanently. Currently, the Lightweight Division has no shortage of competition, and if Poirier can’t get a convincing win at UFC 299, we could see younger competitors start to jump Poirier in line for their shots at Gold.