Islam Makhachev is continuing to put the top-ranked lightweights of the UFC on blast for being unresponsive to the idea of fighting him.
Possibly the biggest narrative surrounding the UFC Vegas 31 main event was about how none of the top-ranked lightweights in the UFC wants any part of Islam Makhachev. In fact, according to both Makhachev and Thiago Moisés, this was the main reason why Moisés (who was unranked prior to this booking) was eventually selected to be Makhachev’s next opponent.
Makhachev made his best efforts to put an end to this storyline by calling out multiple lightweights ranked deep within the top 10, namely Rafael dos Anjos, Tony Ferguson, and Michael Chandler. After already waiting beyond his patience’s expiration date, the Dagestani immediately put the three aforementioned names on blast after none of the three made a charge forward after his three-pronged callout.
“Radio silence? @RdosAnjosMMA @TonyFergusonXT @MikeChandlerMMA I bet they all waiting for smashed McGregor return now ??♂️”
Islam Makhachev cruised to a submission victory over Moisés at UFC Vegas 31, making it eight consecutive victories for the Dagestani. That win tally alone may be enough to boost the #9-ranked Makhachev deeper into the top 10, even if, despite his best efforts, he has never had the opportunity to defeat anyone with such a ranking.
As of this writing, either dos Anjos, Ferguson, or Chandler currently has a fight booked. One man ranked in the top 10 who this past week expressed an openness to facing Makhachev is the #8-ranked Dan Hooker. However, Makhachev swiftly shot down that idea due to Hooker’s recent win-loss record.
Who would you like to see Islam Makhachev face next?
