Islam Makhachev will return to the Octagon to face former RFA lightweight champion Thiago Moises at a UFC Fight Night event on July 17, MMA Fighting confirmed on Wednesday following an initial report from ESPN.
Makhachev (8-1 UFC, 19-1 MMA) trains alongside former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and has been tipped by some pundits as ‘The Eagle’s’ eventual lightweight successor. The 29-year-old Sambo world champion is riding a seven-fight win streak and is fresh off a third-round submission victory over Drew Dober at UFC 259. He is currently #10 in the UFC lightweight rankings.