Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Manager Provides an Update on Islam Makhachev’s Next Fight Date

UFC lightweight Islam Makhachev is reportedly on his way towards a full recovery after suffering a major infection. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto provided an update via his Twitter on the current status of Makhachev, who lost out on a huge opportunity. Chiefly, Islam was booked for his first main event appearance against a former champion in Rafael dos Anjos.

The UFC Fight Night match-up was booked for the Apex Facility in Las Vegas and would have been a massive opportunity. However, just under a week away from the fight, Islam had to pull out due to reasons undisclosed at the time. Number 7 ranked lightweight Paul Felder stepped in on short-notice and filled in for Islam.

Russian Fighters manager Ali Abdelaziz shared the news that Islam will be looking to make his return in February. This could see him possibly on the main card for February’s pay-per-view that is in talks to have Jan Blachowicz vs Israel Adesanya.

Islam Makhachev: A force to be reckoned with

The 18-1 fighter has the rare distinction of being the only fighter to get the coveted co-sign of Khabib Nurmagomedov. Islam is one of Khabib’s most versatile training partners, and he’s under the tutelage of ‘The Eagle’ [29-0]. Not to mention, people closely associate the two fighters and Daniel Cormier has even called Makhachev Khabib’s protégé.

The grappler from Dagestan is on a 6-fight win streak and he last fought back in September 2019. Islam has an exciting style that integrates both unorthodox strikings alongside world-class grappling. This has caused fans to view him as Khabib Nurmagomedov version 2.0 and there’s the belief that a UFC championship is in his future.

The biggest setback that Islam has faced throughout his career stems from his inactivity under the bright lights. Unlike other top lightweight fighters, Makhachev doesn’t frequently compete in the cage, and this causes him to lose steam. Additionally, his recent setback came at the cost of an opportunity to possibly get a win over a world champion.

Makhachev has displayed some flashes of brilliance inside the octagon, and he’ll now have to focus on his health. In order to make a run at championship gold in the UFC, he’ll have to ramp-up his activity rate.