Ahead of his return at UFC 312 in two weeks time, Islam Makhachev has been backed by his manager to attain gold as high as 205lbs — claiming in a hypothetical fight with the incumbent, Alex Pereira, his client would take down the Brazilian and submit him with relative ease.
Makhachev, the current undisputed lightweight champion, will put his throne up for grabs on January 18. — taking on the surging number one contender, Arman Tsarukyan in a title rematch of their first pairing five years ago, as the duo headline UFC 312.
Most recently featuring at UFC 302 back in June, Makhachev successfully defended his crown for the third time, stopping former interim gold holder, Dustin Poirier with a fifth round D’Arce choke in their competitive pairing in New Jersey.