"Charles Oliveira better stay on his toes" - Dan Hooker jokes that Ali Abdelaziz might conspire to replace Justin Gaethje with Islam Makhachev for title fight 

Dan Hooker recently offered his take on a conspiracy theory called 'The Ali Shuffle' concerning Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev. He warned the Brazilian to exercise caution and prepare for all possibilities to make sure he emerges triumphant in his next fight, regardless of the opponent.

The conspiracy theory suggests that Justin Gaethje, who is slated to fight Charles Oliveira at UFC 274, might pull out of the fight. The theory further states that the void 'The Highlight' will leave behind will be filled by Islam Makhachev.

Both Gaethje and Makhachev are managed by the same manager, Dominance MMA's Ali Abdelaziz. Theorists surmise that his involvement in the situation makes it easy for this to take place. In fact, the theory is named after Abdelaziz himself.

Dan Hooker discussed the same while in conversation with John Hyon Ko:

"Charles Oliveira better stay on his toes. That's all I'm saying. He's getting the old, he's getting 'The Ali Shuffle'. 'The Ali Shuffle', that's what we're naming your conspiracy. But legit. How crazy would that be? How would that go down? You know what I mean? Like, last week or ten days out, two weeks out, three weeks out, Justin Gaethje, minor something tear, catches COVID. Ohh no, I don't think they're testing us anymore. So that's good."

Catch Dan Hooker's interaction with John Hyon Ko right here:

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Khabib Nurmagomedov rates Islam Makhachev as the top lightweight contender

Khabib Nurmagomedov recently took to social media to congratulate his protege for finishing his UFC Vegas 49 opponent Bobby Green in the first round.

He admitted that Islam Makhachev had done enough to solidify his position at the top of the UFC lightweight division. He further hailed the Makhachkala native as the greatest lightweight in the world:

"You did a great job brother and deserved to be first contender for the belt and in my opinion you’re the best lightweight in the world. People can say whatever they want, but I've been in this sport for a long time and I know what I'm talking about."

In the aftermath of his decisive performance at the UFC Apex, Makhachev declared that he was looking to compete for the title in his next outing inside the octagon.