Ex-champion or failed opponent of Nurmagomedov: with whom Makhachev should fight the next fight in the UFC

Islam Makhachev continues to strengthen his status as the main contender for the title of the Absolute Fighting Championship among Russians. He won his eighth straight win, which made the UFC pay serious attention to him and put him in fifth place in the lightweight rankings. Thanks to this, the teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov opened up prospects for meetings with the strongest representatives of the division, and some even expressed a desire to fight him. The only question is which of those who cast their votes is ideal for the battle with the "heir" of the Eagle - both from a sports and media point of view.

It is worth noting that Makhachev's breakthrough in the UFC rankings was quite unexpected. At a tournament in Las Vegas, he took over Thiago Moises - a tough opponent, but no more. This was confirmed by the fact that the opponent occupied only the 14th line in the list and was not considered a star. And it was hardly necessary to expect that a victory over him would help Islam rise four lines at once and enter the top five. However, the leadership of the promotion was favorable to him and put him above such distinguished fighters as Tony Ferguson, Rafael Dos Anjos and Conor McGregor.

Thus, Makhachev not only received the right to count on a meeting with the tops, but he himself became an attractive opponent. Previously, many did not want to fight him also for the reason that he occupied a low position in the rating, and the triumph did not give serious dividends. If the Russian lost, the public and the leadership of the organization could come to the conclusion that he is not Khabib's level, therefore, the victory over him does not have much weight. And this despite the fact that the athletes themselves clearly understood how much talent and decent skills Islam possesses.

We can recall with what difficulty Makhachev has been picking up opponents for himself lately.

He actively promoted himself on social media and challenged many worthy opponents who were above him in the rankings, but none of them agreed to fight.

As a result, he had to fight the middle peasants, such as Drew Dober and the same Moises.

Now the situation has changed.

Even before the fight with Moises, the eighth category number Dan Hooker announced his readiness to meet with Islam, and later Dos Anjos, who was located higher, also agreed to a fight with him.

At the same time, the Brazilian said that the Russian himself had already accepted his offer, and also named the date, time and special condition of the battle.

According to him, the battle will take place on October 30 in Abu Dhabi and will be held in the format of five rounds, and if his teammate is defeated, Nurmagomedov himself will "avenge" him.

However, it is difficult to call Dos Anjos an ideal opponent for Makhachev. Moreover, we are talking here about the totality of all factors. It must be understood that now Islam needs not only to gain the upper hand over the strongest lightweights of the planet, but also to force as many people as possible to talk about themselves. And the victory over Raphael, although it will give a certain impetus to his career, is far from the maximum possible in the current conditions.

In addition, Dos Anjos remains dangerous both in the standing position and on the ground. Yes, at one time Nurmagomedov left him no chance and, thanks to six successful takedowns, won by unanimous decision. But this should not be misleading. Over the next seven years, Rafael has made tremendous progress in all aspects, and especially with regard to striking technique. Knowing Makhachev, he will still try to work on his feet a little more than his team-mate, so the chances of missing the fatal blow will be much greater. And earlier, Islam himself had already proved that his jaw could not be called granite - in 2015 he lost by knockout to Adriano Martins.

In addition, the battle between Makhachev and Dos Anjos is unlikely to cause a huge stir among fans. Both the low popularity of the Brazilian (591 thousand followers on Instagram) and four defeats in the last six fights will affect. In addition, Islam will be expected to perform no less confidently than from Khabib, which puts him in a rigid framework, increases psychological pressure and the level of expectations.

In this regard, Makhachev's duel with Ferguson seems to be the most advantageous. Considering the current form of a possible opponent, the fight should turn out to be much less intense. Tony lost three times in a row and once again showed his weaknesses. And if Justin Gaethje interrupted him in a standing position, then Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush very easily passed to the legs and dominated on the ground. And in wrestling and grappling, Islam, at least, is not inferior to the aforementioned athletes.

But the main thing is that in media terms, the victory over Ferguson will be a huge event in the world of MMA.

Moreover, even the unsuccessful series of the latter will not affect this.

Makhachev will not only do what Nurmagomedov was unable to do for various reasons, but may even dismiss Tony.

Four consecutive defeats could well be the verdict for the UFC veteran, who will celebrate his 38th birthday in February 2022.

In terms of excitement, perhaps the fight between Makhachev and McGregor is more profitable, but there are no prerequisites for this to happen.

Conor is promised a rematch with Dustin Poirier - a much more convenient rival for him from all points of view.

The Irishman will certainly want to avenge two defeats in a row, and the prospect of a meeting with Nurmagomedov's "heir" will hardly be able to distract him from this.

As for a possible duel with Michael Chandler, this option seems unlikely. Even taking into account the fact that Makhachev himself turned to him after the battle with Moises. The American recently claimed the title and has been promoting a possible fight with Gatji for a long time, as a result of which he is unlikely to be interested in a fight with the Russian. And for Islam itself, this option is not true. Defeating the former Bellator champion and the first UFC title contender will be a weighty line, but will not be as talked about as the triumph in the duel with Ferguson.