“(Makhachev) has already given chances. People criticize, saying, ‘Oh, he fought Volkanovski twice,…why does Islam need to give a third chance to the 145-pound champion? Why.” said Khabib Nurmagomedov last year, arguing that a fight between Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev would be “unfair.” ‘The Eagle’ highlighted Makhachev’s back-to-back victories over then 144lbs chap Alexander Volkanovski, who moved up to 155lbs to challenge him. While those wins cemented the champion’s dominance, they also sparked debate, with critics pointing out that both of his defenses came against a “smaller” fighter.

As a result, discussions about a potential fight with Ilia Topuria have reignited the same concerns. Now, with rumors swirling about a potential  Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev fight around June’s International Fight Week, recently, Daniel Cormier, a close friend of Team Khabib, spoke on his YouTube video, offering a hard-hitting reminder to the Dagestani native regarding the ‘El Matador’ fight. Cormier said, “At the end of the day, guys, it doesn’t matter what you do or how highly you hold someone; the fact that he was the champion in the lower weight class is what’s going to be pointed to the moment Islam beats him.”

Moreover, ‘DC’ stressed that no matter what Islam Makhachev accomplishes, critics will always focus on the size disparity. He explained, “Anytime you have a dominant champ, anytime you look for reasons to discredit them, it happens all the time. He beats a featherweight, he beats a featherweight, and then he beats a guy who was ranked lower on a day’s notice. People always try to find holes in his title reign when those title reigns don’t have holes.”

Islam Makhachev recently defended his lightweight title for a record-breaking fourth time, surpassing his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov, as well as BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar. He accomplished this feat at UFC 311, the first pay-per-view event of the year. Originally, the Russian was set to face the No. 1 contender, but days before the fight, his opponent, an Armenian fighter, pulled out, and Renato Moicano stepped in as a last-minute replacement. Now, as rumors swirl about a potential fight with Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje has also emerged as a top contender on Dana White & Co.’s list to challenge Makhachev next.

Dana White lists Justin Gaethje as option for Islam Makhachev’s next title defense

“I’m not sure what’s next, we’ll see. Obviously, I want to fight for the belt, but it’s a completely different matchup than the one I just had. They tried to give me a free pass, but I’ve got to get back to work if I’m going to face Makhachev,” Justin Gaethje shared his thoughts on his title aspirations at UFC 313. Despite his long tenure in the UFC, the American has yet to capture a title, although he briefly held the interim championship. In 2020, Khabib Nurmagomedov submitted him with a triangle choke, derailing his first opportunity to unify the belt.

Then, in May 2022, Justin Gaethje challenged Charles Oliveira for the vacant title at UFC 274, but his hopes were dashed when Oliveira secured a rear-naked choke. To add to the drama, Oliveira was unable to claim the title himself, having missed weight by 0.5 pounds, which rendered him ineligible for the championship.

Even with these setbacks, Gaethje has never faced Islam Makhachev. At UFC 313, the media questioned Dana White about whether Gaethje could be next in line for a title shot. White responded, “What’s he ranked now? Fourth or something? He’s still the number three ranked guy in the world, so the odds of him getting the title shot are pretty good.” This response was met with approval, and even Islam Makhachev and his coach consider Justin Gaethje a more credible opponent than Ilia Topuria.

What do you think about Daniel Cormier’s comments? Should Islam Makhachev face someone from his own division, like Justin Gaethje or Arman Tsarukyan, rather than a fighter from a “smaller” division like Ilia Topuria? Do you believe Topuria should face a top-ranked contender first? Share your thoughts below.