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#4: Islam Makhachev is beginning to catch on as a superstar
He isn’t quite as popular as his teammate and mentor – former UFC lightweight kingpin Khabib Nurmagomedov – just yet. However, there’s no disputing the idea that Islam Makhachev is definitely beginning to catch on as a superstar with the fans.
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Sure, he’s more softly spoken than ‘The Eagle’ was during his tenure with the UFC. But in the octagon, he’s almost been more devastating – and with Khabib now retired, more and more fans are seemingly beginning to believe that Makhachev is his heir.
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Not only is the Dagestani fighter beginning to garner huge reactions when he steps into the octagon, but his rising popularity is also plain to see on social media, too.
Right now, Islam Makhachev has an impressive 3.5 million followers on Instagram, which puts him ahead of both reigning UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira (2.1m) and top contender Justin Gaethje (1.6m).
In fact, even Jorge Masvidal – who is widely recognized as one of the UFC’s biggest drawing stars – only has 3m followers on the platform.
Naturally, the UFC always wants to capitalise on the popularity of its fighters in order to draw the biggest numbers on pay-per-view. With that considered, giving Makhachev a title shot would not only make sense from a sporting perspective, but also from a financial one.
#3: Islam Makhachev makes an excellent opponent for Charles Oliveira or Justin Gaethje
Despite Islam Makhachev’s impressive winning streak, the next UFC lightweight title fight is already set. It will see champion Charles Oliveira defend against top contender Justin Gaethje, who earned his shot with an excellent win over Michael Chandler last November.
Regardless of who wins, the UFC will no doubt look to match them with an exciting challenger in their next bout. And thankfully, assuming he beats Bobby Green this weekend, Makhachev would definitely provide that challenge.
A bout between the Dagestani and Oliveira would, on paper at least, look like one of the best grappling matches in UFC history. It would pit Makhachev’s phenomenal wrestling, top control and ground-and-pound against the slick submissions and Brazilian jiu-jitsu skill of ‘Do Bronx’ – and a winner would be near impossible to call.
A fight between Makhachev and Gaethje, meanwhile, would act as a classic striker vs. grappler bout, with ‘The Highlight’ attempting to keep Makhachev from taking him down and looking to knock him out on the feet. Again, it’d be a very tricky fight to call.
Essentially, a bout between Makhachev and either Oliveira or Gaethje would make for one of the most intriguing UFC lightweight title fights in a long time. The promotion should definitely book it if the Dagestani beats Green this weekend.
